Politicians, academics and labour leaders at a roundtable on Saturday called on the Awami League-led government to allocate funds in the upcoming budget for the welfare of the workers. Bangladesh Textile Garments Workers Federation organised the discussion at National Press Club, on ‘National budget and expectations of the workers.’ The president of the organisation, Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, read out the keynote paper. He demanded the allocation for fiscal 2016-17 to ensure the well-being of the workers by introducing food rationing for them and constructing their dormitories. He also asked the government to raise the wages of the workers by formulating a National Minimum Wage Board and setting minimum wage for the apparel workers at Tk16,000 per month, keeping their basic wage at Tk 10,000. Gano Forum president and eminent jurist Kamal Hossain said the workers are mostly deprived of decent wages as they get the rock bottom payments. He called on the government to take immediate steps for enhancing the wages as the national pay scale had already been implemented. He urged the labour rights bodies to get united for realising their demands. Dhaka University teacher and economist MM Akash said the government should make the budgetary provision for introducing food rationing, developing housing and treatment facilities for the workers. He called on the government to implement the Labour Law-2006, which could have realised many of the workers demands. The president of Garment Sramik Oikya Forum, Mushrefa Mishu, also demanded re-fixing minimum wage of the apparel workers at Tk 16,000 a month. A dressmaker cannot run his or her family with a minimum wage of Tk 5,300, she said.Labour leader Abul Hossain said the finance minister should hold views exchange meeting with the labour leaders before formulating the national budget. Another labour leader, Touhidur Rahman, said the labour rights bodies will reject the budget outright if the proposed allocations were ignored. Labour leaders Shamim Imam, Alamgir Roni, Sultana Akter, Amena Dewan took part in the discussion.
