Garment labour organisations on Thursday rejected the new minimum wage for apparel worker set at Tk 8,000 and called for its review.They said minimum monthly wage was unrealistic and deception with 40 lakh workers of the highest foreign currency earning sector for the country.The unions in separate statements warned demonstration if the minimum wage was not reviewed and set at Tk 16,000 considering price hike and inflation.Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, coordinator of Garment Sramik Odhikar Andolan, a platform of 12 labour organisations, said that workers would stick to their demand for minimum wage of Tk 16,000. ‘The workers rejected Tk 8,000 as their monthly minimum wage,’ he told New Age on Thursday evening over phone.Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre general secretary Jolly Talukder, rejecting the wage, said that the wage board announced an unrealistic and unfair wage, deceiving the workers.GWTUC, among other organisations, held a demonstration in front of National Press Club in an immediate reaction.Executive president of GWTUC Kazi Ruhul Amin said that government announced the wage to please the factory owners. Bangladesh Garment Sramik Sanghati general secretary Julhasnayeen Babu asked the government not to delay declaring Tk 16,000 as the workers were passing days in financial crisis.IndustryAll Bangladesh council secretary general Salauddin Shapon said that they still demanded Tk 16,000 but denied to give any reaction over the announcement.Garment Sramik Front among others rejected the wage.State minister for labour and employment Md Mujibul Haque announced the wage and said it would come into effect in December.
