New Wage for apparel industry workers by December

Babul Akter, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation and workers' representative on the newly formed Minimum Wage Board, has said that a reasonable and quality new wage structure can be finalized by December.

He made this comment while briefing journalists after a meeting with the Home Minister at the secretariat on Monday afternoon.

At the press conference, calling on workers to return to their factories immediately, Babul said, "Workers' leaders have not called for any formal strike or factory closure. Rather, some outsiders are throwing bricks into factories and creating disorder."

He said that the workers' long-standing prime demand was the restructuring of the minimum wage board. The government has formed that board at the earliest possible time. Now, the workers' side will put forward strong proposals at the wage board's first meeting.

Babul Akter said, "If anyone gets involved in criminal activities, no workers' organization will stand by them. Therefore, rather than stopping production, demands must be realized through the wage board in a regular manner while keeping factory operations running."

Meanwhile, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has claimed that fascist supporters and opportunists are instigating the ongoing unrest and violent movement in the ready-made garment industry.

At the same press conference, he said, "A clique is deliberately infiltrating the workers and spreading violence in order to reap political benefits in the name of the movement and destroy the country's important industrial sector. Analysis of CCTV and video footage has found evidence of such activities by masked outsiders."

The minister said, "Those who deliberately create disorder on roads and highways cannot be friends of workers. The clique involved in unjust activities and violence will be identified and brought under the law."

The Home Minister called on workers not to pay heed to any kind of misinformation and to return to their respective workplaces immediately. At the same time, he requested that production activities be kept normal while maintaining peace and order in factories. He also mentioned that the release of innocent workers and leaders arrested in recent untoward incidents will be considered in accordance with the law.

First Meeting of Wage Board Soon

The Home Minister also highlighted the government's initiative regarding determining the workers' minimum wage. He said, "As part of the regular process of restructuring the wage board every three years, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has formed a new wage board at the earliest time after completing discussions with both owners and workers."

He said the Prime Minister has given instructions to determine a worker-friendly and industry-friendly wage, taking into consideration the improvement of garment workers' living standards and the country's overall economic situation. The first meeting of the board regarding minimum wage determination will be held soon.

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury, Prime Minister's Adviser Mashiur Amin, and Member of Parliament Shimul Biswas were present at the meeting.

Among the worker leaders present were Mirza Al Shameem, president of the Bangladesh Treenomul Garments Workers Employees Federation; Md. Mostafa, general secretary of Jago Bangladesh Garments Workers Federation; Arabinda Bepari Bindu, president of Biplobi Garments Workers Federation; Akash Ahmed Babul, general secretary of Bangladesh Poshak Sramik Trade Union Federation; Shakil Hossain Mobarak, president of Swadhin Garments Workers Federation; Amir Hamza Khan, general secretary of Jatiya Treenomul Sramik Federation; Md. Touhidur Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Poshak Sramik Oikya Parishad; Manzurul Islam Manju, publicity and publication secretary of Sramik Dal; Lovely Yasmin, president of Ready-made Garments Workers Federation; and Md. Zakir Hossain, acting president of Bangladesh Sramik Federation.