Various garment factory workers’ rights bodies on Friday, from separate rallies in the Muktangan, called on the Awami League-led government to introduce trade unionism in garment factories within three months and ensure a minimum wage of Tk 5,000/-. The leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Workers Unity Council and Garment Workers Unity Forum said that the government had pledged that it would introduce trade unions in garment factories but has taken no steps to do so till date.

Finally, after the killing of three workers of Nippon Garments by the police in Tongi on October 31, the government decided in principle to introduce trade unions in garment factories and has formed a 12-member committee to this effect. The labour rights bodies also called on the government to immediately take steps for increasing the minimum wage of garment factory workers to Tk 5,000/- per month to enable them to survive at a time when prices of essentials are sky-rocketing. It is impossible for a worker to feed his/her family on a minimum wage of only Tk 1,662/- per month.

The president of the Garment Workers Unity Forum, Mushrefa Mishu, demanded the arrest and trial of the owner(s) of Nippon Garments whose abrupt and unlawful closure of the factory led to the killing of three workers. She also demanded compensation for the dead and wounded workers of the factory and withdrawal of all the cases filed against them. Forum leaders Komol Debnath Rana, Shahidul Islam Sobuj, Amena Akhter and Shanti Begum also spoke at the rally.

The central leader of the BGWUC, Mohammad Delwar Hossain, said that the AL had pledged in its election manifesto that the minimum wage of the garment factory workers would be increased but has still done nothing to do so. The BGWUC announced a fortnight-long mass contact programme to press home its demands. It will form human chains, stage rallies and bring out processions in the industrial areas and hold a central rally in Muktangan on November 20. The leaders of the central steering committee of the organisation — Mohammad Touhidur Rahman, SM Masud Rana and Selina Ahmed Tania — also spoke at the rally.

-New Age