The Sramik Sangam Parishad has moved to increase wages for garment manufacturers in Dhaka with a six-point demand including a bonus equal to one month’s wages on the upcoming Ramadan Eid (Eid al-Fitr). The organization put forward these demands during a workers’ sit-in in front of the National Press Club on Friday afternoon (January 10).
Speakers at the rally said the prices of everything are rising. But our wages are not increasing. It is difficult for workers to survive in the current market on previous wages. Employers pay us a portion of the wages we are entitled to after a full week of work. The rest of the money stays with them. We can’t live on this salary. They demanded an increase in wages commensurate with market prices.
The speakers also said that the workers have to work for 14-16 hours to survive by eating two handfuls of dal and rice with their families. But employers do not pay double wages for overtime according to the labor law. The owners run the company without regard to labor laws. Although two festive bonuses equal to one month’s wages are supposed to be disbursed on each Eid, this is not done in most cases. According to the Labor Law, wages are supposed to be paid by the seventh day of every month, but they are not.
At this time, they put forward their six-point demands. They –
Setting the minimum living wage for local garment workers in line with market rates, i.e. 8 hours of work and double overtime pay; A reward equivalent to one month’s wages must be paid during Ramadan Eid. The practice of illegal and inhumane detention and moonlight wages must be stopped; Wages must be paid by 7 o’clock; Workplace safety, job security, eliminating pay disparity among women workers and providing healthy food and nightly allowance for overtime work at night.
Ahmed Sujan, joint organizer of the Dhaka garment workers’ struggle for higher wages, was also present at the march, and among the participants were Mehboob Alam Hanif, members Hilal Hossain, Munir Hossain, Dalal and others.