Tk 25,000 minimum wage demanded for RMG workers

DU Correspondent :
The Garment Sramik Samhati on Friday staged a protest rally demanding Tk 25,000 minimum monthly wage for the garment workers.

Hundreds of leaders and activists held the demonstration in front of National Museum and made the demand in the wake of high cost of living due to the price hike of essentials.

Speakers said that the minimum wage should be in accordance with current market prices. Garment workers were getting minimum wage Tk 8,000 per month and by which they could not run their families.

Earlier last week, 11 rights organizations announced this demands by holding an open discussion titled “Wage Question and Garment Workers’ Movement”in the capital.

Taslima Akhter, President of the organization, said that half of the time of the wage board has already passed, but we did not see any development. We want to ask why there is no progress.

Garment workers have made their name globally, but the owners are only improving themselves ignoring the workers. She claimed, “The agitating workers are being attacked.” She said, “They may kill us but they cannot kill our demands.

We will achieve a living wage of Taka 25,000 for the workers not by vandalizing the garment factories, but through demonstration.”

Jonaid Saki, Chief Coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon, said, “It may seem that the salary demands of these garment workers are their personal problems. But we have to deeply understand the criteria of a country depend on what is the minimum wage of their workers.

Considering the market rate of four and a half years ago, it has been increased to Tk 8,500, but the current market rate is breathtaking. So at present this salary cannot be justified in any way.”