RMG workers stage demo, reject wage scale

Readymade garment (RMG) workers have staged demonstrations in the capital's press club area, rejecting the recently declared minimum wage scale for them.

Under different organisations and alliances, they demanded that the authorities raise the minimum wage to at least Tk 23,000 and ensure justice to the workers who were killed during the ongoing protest.

The Garments Sramik Front brought out a procession from Paltan Mor around 10:45 am and held a rally in front of the press club. Its president Khalequzzaman Lipon and secretary Selim Mahmud, among others, addressed the rally and urged the authorities to hike the wage.

Later, another organisation -- Bangladesh OSK Garments and Textile Sramik Federation -- brought out a procession from the Purana Paltan area around 11:00 am and held a rally in front of the press club.

Mohammad Yasin and Prakash Dutta, president and secretary of the organisation, were present on the occasion. They all refused the government-declared minimum wage.

Meanwhile, the Sramik Federation held a rally on the press club premises and demanded a minimum wage of Tk 25,000 for the RMG workers.

Its leaders alleged that when the workers were protesting for their just wage, the government took the owners' side and opened fire on the protesters. The workers demanded a fair wage in exchange for their labour, but received bullets.

They demanded justice for three fellow workers – Anjuara, Rasel, and Imran – who died during the protest.

The Garments Sramik Andolan, an alliance of 11 workers organisations, took positions before the nearby traffic police box around 11:15 am as the press club premises were preoccupied by other organisations. Later, they held a separate rally on the press club premises, demanding justice for the deceased workers and a wage hike.

Taslima Akter, coordinator of the alliance, alleged that the wage declared by the government does not reflect their wishes. It is not even close to the wage they demanded.

“The government and the wage board are saying that the wage has been hiked by 56 per cent. But it would be 39 per cent if the annual increment is taken into account. The figure will be even lower if inflation is considered,” she added.

Citing spiraling commodity prices, she said it is quite tough for the workers to survive with a minimum wage of Tk 12,500.

During their rally, different workers' organisations, including Sramik Federation, Rastra Sanskar Andolan, Bangladesh Garment Workers Trade Union Centre, Bangladesh Garments Sramik Sanghati, marched through the Paltan area and joined them in phases.

The authorities raised the minimum monthly pay for the country's four million garment workers by 56.25 per cent, but it was immediately rejected by unions seeking a near-tripling of the figure.

Around 3,500 garment factories in Bangladesh account for around 85 per cent of the country’s $55 billion in annual exports, supplying many of the world's top fashion names including Levi's, Zara and H&M.

The conditions are dire for many of the sector's four million workers, the vast majority of whom are women whose monthly pay starts at Tk 8,300 ($75).

Workers have gone on strike to demand a near tripling of their wages, with violent scenes in recent days, while employers offered 25 per cent.