Garments Sramik Adhikar Andolon, a platform of 12 labour organisations, has appealed to the wage board to review the minimum monthly wage of Tk 8000 for entry-level garment workers.They also demanded that Tk 16,000 be fixed as the minimum monthly wage with annual increment at the rate of 10 per cent, said a statement issued by the platform.The wage board fixed the minimum monthly wage at Tk 8000 after the fifth meeting of the board held on September 12.The garment workers also held a rally in front of the wage board’s office in the city before submitting their memorandum.Coordinator of the platform Mahbubur Rahman Ismail and other leaders Shamim Imam, Mohammad Yeasin, Julhasnain Babu, Biplob Bhattachariya, Humayun Kabir Mujib, Raju Ahmed, Shabnam Hafiz and Saiful Islam spoke at the rally.The basic pay in the current minimum wage of Tk 5300 is Tk 3000, which was 56.60 per cent higher than the previous basic pay, the leaders said.But this time, the basic pay was fixed at Tk 4100, marking an increase of only 51.25 per cent, they said, adding that such structure would affect the workers’ other payments like overtime and festival allowances. Moreover, there are no clear instructions about annual hike and the hikes in other six grades, they said, terming the proposal ‘incomplete’.So, workers would be deprived of fair wages, they said.Rejecting the minimum wage of Tk 8000, they demanded review of the proposal by September 30 and fixing of Tk 16,000 as the minimum monthly wage.They also warned that workers would be forced to come to the street if their demands go unheeded.
