Workers threaten to launch wage protests after Eid

Labour leaders have threatened to launch tougher protests after the Eid if their demand for Tk 16,000 as minimum monthly wage is not met.

The announcement came from a human chain formed by 12 organisations in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Monday.

“If the government does not consider our demand, we will go for tougher protests,” said Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, convenor of the 12 organisations.

“The government is implementing the blueprint designed by owners. Even after six months since the formation of the minimum wage board, they could not fix the wage. Now the chairman of the wage board has been sent out to perform the hajj only to delay the process of implementing the new wage,” he alleged.

After a meeting with factory owners on Aug 9, State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque asked them to pay Eid-ul-Azha bonuses to workers by Aug 16.

On Jan 19, the government formed the minimum wage board to review the wages for garment workers by drawing representatives from owners and workers of the apparel sector.

In its first meeting on Mar 19, the board asked both owners and workers to submit separate proposals for minimum wages to it before the next meeting. 

The board postponed the second meeting scheduled for Apr 25, citing ‘unavoidable circumstances’ as reason and the next date is yet to be set.

The government last reviewed garment worker pay in 2013 and fixed the minimum monthly wage at Tk 5,300, up from Tk 3,000 set in 2010.

Ahead of every Eid, workers agitated for realising their bonuses and wages, Ismail said. “The situation cannot continue for long.”