Readymade garments (RMG) workers continued their demonstrations in the capital and demanded an increase in the minimum wage and other facilities for the third consecutive day yesterday. However, in a latest development, commerce minister Tipu Munshi said the discrepancies in the salary structure will be resolved within one month.“A 10-member committee has been formed to identify and resolve the problem. I am urging the labourers to go back to their work,” said the minister.The minister also mentioned that the government will take strict measures if the current situation continues.Earlier on, the commerce minister and the state minister for labour sat with factory owners and garments workers to talk about the implementation of the minimum wage.Mohammad Nasir, first vice-president of BGMEA, told The Independent that they conducted a meeting at the labour ministry with representatives from RMG owners, RMG labour associations and government officials.“The minimum wage for the RMG workers will not be changed. They will get their wage as per the latest wage board. We have identified around 20-25 garments factories from where the problem has been originated. We will try to fix the problem by the end of January,” he said. The garments workers began to gather at Uttara, Dakhinkhan and Kalshi area in Mirpur since yesterday morning.The police fired teargas shells to disperse the workers when they attempted to occupy the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Uttara’s Abdullahpur around 11:45am.On receiving news of a gathering, the law enforcers reached Mirpur’s Kalshi area where the workers occupied the road in front of a 22-storied building. As they approached the area, a confrontation with the workers ensued.Later, the workers were allowed to stay on the road.In Savar, at least 20 people were hurt in clashes during demonstrations at Hemayetpur around 8:30am.In Ashulia, hundreds of workers clashed with police when they were prevented from blocking a road around 8am. The clash started when police fired several tear gas canisters and charged batons to disperse the demonstrators.The monthly wage in the seventh grade increased to Tk. 8,000 from Tk. 5,300 in the latest gazette published by the government last year. But their salary in other grades did not increase at the same rate, the workers allege. The salary hike for entry-level workers was more than that of their senior operators, who have been working in the garments industry for more than seven to eight years. The new wage has become effective from December 1. The salary hike discrepancy was noticed for workers of the third and fourth grades as their salaries were not raised like those of entry-level workers.Since Sunday, the workers have been demanding that the government implement the new wage structure, including the minimum wage, that has been declared for the sector. They are claiming that owners of garments factories are not paying them according to the new wage structure. The protest caused a five-hour traffic stoppage from Airport Road to Uttara’s Azampur on Sunday.Earlier on Monday, the workers chanted slogans demanding hike of their wage in all grades and burnt a passenger bus near the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.UNB adds: in Savar, a readymade garment (RMG) worker was killed and 30 others were injured in clashes with policemen during demonstrations at Hemayetpur yesterday.They have been demanding cancellation of what they call a ‘discriminatory wage board’ announced by the government for them. Victim’s colleagues said they found Sumon Mia, 22, hit by bullet at Ulaill area and rushed him to Savar upazila health complex where the doctor declared him dead.
