During a protest rally in the capital Dhaka recently, leaders of Garment Sramik Samhati alleged that garment factory owners had initiated job cuts following the implementation of the wage board.
The protestors also claimed that garment workers were being deprived of the increased wages promised under the guise of grading.
This is as per media reports, which maintained, the rally, organised by Garment Sramik Samhati, took place in front of the National Press Club, with its president, Taslima Akhter, presiding over the event.
Akhter stated that garment factory owners had begun laying off workers after the introduction of the new wage board award.
The minimum wage, set at Taka 12,500 per month, was deemed insufficient to sustain the workers’ families, she added.
Babul Hossain, the organisation’s general secretary recently released on bail, highlighted that numerous labour leaders had been imprisoned for leading movements advocating for wage increases for workers.
He also lamented the loss of four labour leaders who were killed in police firing during these movements, demanding adequate compensation for the affected families.
Central leaders of the organisation, including Anjan Das, Prabir Saha, Ziadul Islam, and Rupali Akter, addressed the rally. The protest concluded with a procession that traversed various city roads.
