Bangladesh Garment Sramik Samhati recently organised a rally in front of the National Press Club to protest against a recent proposal.
The rally was chaired by Taslima Akhter, the organisation’s president.
During the rally, Taslima Akhter expressed discontent with the proposal put forth by garment factory owners, which suggested a monthly wage of Taka 10,400 for workers in a recent wage board meeting even as she asserted that this proposal was unacceptable and called for a minimum wage of Taka 25,000 per month for garment workers.
She emphasised that, given the abnormal increase in the prices of essential commodities, workers could not adequately support their families without this increased wage.
Zonayed Saki, the chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolan, pointed out that the country’s workers, especially those in the garment industry, were already struggling to provide for their families with the current minimum wage of Taka 8,000 per month.
He stated that the factory owners’ proposal of Taka 10,400 per month, presented at the wage board meeting, would still be insufficient in the face of soaring prices for essential goods. Saki urged workers’ rights organisations to lead movements advocating for higher wages for garment workers.
Following the rally, a protest procession moved through various Dhaka streets to amplify their message.
