Deplorable use of force condemned: Amnesty terms RMG minimum wage ‘poverty pay’
Staff Reporter :
Amid escalating unrest and violence in Bangladesh’s RMG sector over the minimum wage hike, the international bodies, including Amnesty International (AI) have called upon the concerned stakeholders to review the workers wages, saying it ‘poverty pay.’
Amnesty urges the authorities to ensure that Bangladesh garment workers are afforded the opportunity for decent work instead of continued poverty pay.
Concurrently, Amnesty has condemned the use of excessive force against the garment workers who are in the streets to voice their demands for wage hike.
“We condemn the deplorable use of force on protesters yesterday (on Wednesday) that resulted in the deaths of at least two garment workers in clashes with the police in protests relating to minimum wage,” AI said on its X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.
The AI expressed regret at the November 7 decision of the Bangladesh authorities on setting the new minimum wage for the garment sector at Tk 12,500 (approximately $113).
The new wage of 12,500Tk remains far below the living wage of around 51,000Tk (Asia Floor Wage Alliance) and below the Tk 33,368 calculated to cover basic costs of life by the Bangladesh Institute for Labour Studies, it said.
This new wage replaces the previous wage of Tk 8,000 (approximately US$74). Trade unions had been calling for at least Tk 23,000. Meanwhile, garment workers have rejected the government’s newly set minimum wage of Tk12,500 and are protesting in the streets.
Workers preferring anonymity said that they are being underpaid and it has become difficult for them to sustain their livelihoods amid the soaring prices of daily essentials.
“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to sustain our livelihoods with the current wages. The prices of basic necessities have surged, making it almost impossible to cover our daily expenses,” one worker said.
They have also condemned the law enforcers actions to suppress their due rights for assembly to realise their demand.
Under the escalating tension in the RMG sector, a number of factories have been shut down to cool the situation.
Amnesty has urged the Government of Bangladesh to ensure that garment workers are allowed their right to freedom of association without repression.
It has also called upon the authorities to end its violent repression of workers’ right to protest, and conduct an immediate investigation into these deaths, and hold those responsible fully and swiftly accountable.
Apart from it, Amnesty has also called on fashion brands who source from Bangladesh to make good their commitments to ensuring respect for labour rights and paying a living wage to workers in their supply chain.
When the workers are struggling to realise their demand for wage hike and the international organisations are calling for reviewing the wage policy, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked garment workers to join work under the newly announced minimum wage.
“I am asking the garment workers to join work under the newly increased wages. They must proceed with their work,” she said while speaking at Awami League’s Executive Committee meeting at Ganabhaban.
She further said, “Whenever the time comes, we provide them (RMG workers) with all facilities. However, if they opt to take to the streets under someone’s influence, then they will be killed by those instigating them. They are the ones who will create a situation where the workers may lose their jobs and have to return to their villages.”
