Stakeholders in the readymade garment industry of Bangladesh involved in determining the new minimum base wage for the garment workers, seem to be heading towards a face-off after the Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre (an organization for RMG workers), reportedly issued an ultimatum to meet their demand of BDT 16,000 as base wage within 15 days, failing which it had allegedly threatened tougher movements.
“The Government and the RMG industry owners will have to accept our demand for a minimum wage of Taka 16, 000, including a basic pay of Taka10, 000, within the next 15 days. If our demand is not met by then, we will launch an all-out movement,” reportedly threatened the General Secretary of the organisation Jolly Talukdar, further adding: “The workers cannot survive on a Taka 6,360 wage. Our demand to raise our minimum wage is a matter of survival now.”
This she maintained while addressing a rally in front of National Press Club in capital Dhaka.
Meanwhile, President of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Mujahidul Islam Selim reportedly urged the authorities to accept the workers’ demand.
It may be mentioned here that in the third meeting of the wage board held recently, labour leaders reportedly proposed BDT 12,020 as the base wage while the garment manufacturers proposed a minimum wage-rate of BDT 6,360.
Not happy with the developments, several workers’ unions, including Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre and Ganasanghati Andolan had decided to hold protest rallies. Leaders of these two trade unions (Joly Talukder of Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre and President of Ganasanghati Andolan, Taslima Akhter) announced their future course of actions in separate press meets.
