RMG workers continue protests, reject new wage scale

Staff Reporter :
Garment workers on Friday continued their protests, calling for a review of the government set minimum wage of Tk12,500.

Additionally, they demanded justice for the slain workers Anjuara, Russel, and Imran, who lost their lives during the workers’ movement, along with the withdrawal of all cases against garment workers.

Several organizations, including Garment Sramik Andolon, Bangladesh Garment Sramik Songhoti, Garment Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad, Garment Sramik Front, Bangladesh OSK, and Textile Sramik Federation, made the demands organising separate protest rallies and marches in front of the National Press Club yesterday morning.

The Garments Sramik Front brought out a procession from Paltan Mour around 10:45 am and held a rally in front of the Jatiya 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 at the same venue and demanded a minimum wage of Tk 25,000 for the RMG workers.

The Garments Sramik Andolan, an alliance of 11 workers organisations, took positions in front of 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 in front of the press club, 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.

“We have rejected the government-set minimum wage of Tk 12,500 on behalf of 40 lakh garment workers. Workers are struggling to survive due to rising commodity prices. We demand the government review the workers’ wages,” Taslima Akhtar expressed.

“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.

Speakers at the Garment Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad rally accused garment owners of exploiting opportunities to suppress the workers’ movement for fair wages, disguising it as political unrest.

They expressed disappointment that the Prime Minister seemed to fall into the trap of the owners’ conspiracy, echoing their blame of workers.

Condemning violent actions such as firing on workers, they decried the law enforcement personnel’s behavior, likening it to engaging in warfare with the workers.

In response, they announced a protest rally in front of the National Press Club on the morning of 14 November with the same demands.

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.