BGMEA’s press conference today

Staff Reporter :
BGMEA, apex body of the apparel sector, has decided to hold a press conference on Tuesday to brief the overall situation of the labour unrest, according to a press release.

Earlier on Sunday, the Labour Ministry held a meeting with the trade union leaders of the RMG sector at Shrama Bhaban in the city.

Nearly 100 of trade union leaders attended the meeting and most of them said that the proposal of minimum wage from the factory owners to the wage board was unacceptable and it made the RMG workers disappointed.

They also identified delay in the wage setting process in the minimum wage board, excessive price hike of essential commodities, non-payment of wages and misbehaviour with workers as causes of unrest in many factories.

Labour leaders said that the announcement of a reasonable minimum wage for the workers within the shortest possible time could be a solution to the ongoing unrest in the RMG sector.

In the meeting with trade union leaders, State Minister for Labour Monnujan Sufian said that a group of misguided workers were saying that Tk 10,400 has been set as minimum wage.

“I will request labour leaders to take initiative to stop the unrest.

Please go to the factory and inform workers that the minimum wage board is working to set a new minimum wage and it will be finalised by November 30,” the state minister said.

Lima Ferdousi, President of Garment Shramik Karmachari League, said that the irresponsible proposal from factory owners to the wage board triggered labour unrest in RMG factories.

The owners’ proposal for Tk 10,400 as minimum wage was completely unacceptable and the proposal made workers disappointed, she said.

Lima Ferdousi also said that the garment factories’ officials hurled abusive words at the workers, beat the workers and also cut the portion of their salaries for the slightest delay even in using the washroom during the work.

Montu Ghosh, President of Garment Sramik Trade Union Kendra, said that the minimum wage board had failed to bring any positive result for the workers in the past six months.

Declaration of new wages for the workers within the shortest possible time could be a solution to ongoing unrest, he said.