Market that sells labour
Day labourers from different places gather at Boithakata Bazar in Nazirpur upazila to sell their labour on haat days on every Saturday and Tuesday.
The people who sell their labour usually come from Nazirpur, Pirojpur Sadar and Nesarabad upazilas of the district.
The employers bear all the cost of a day labourer, including food and other facilities, in addition to daily wage.
Over 200 day labourers gather at Boithakata Bazar on haat days. The market has been going on for years, which provides labourers for various types of household and farm works to the people of nearby areas.
The people hire day labourers for different purposes like planting paddy seedlings and harvesting ripe paddy.
People from different areas of Gopalganj, Barisal and Pirojpur go to Boithakata Bazar for hiring day labourers round the year. The wage of the labourers is fixed depending on the nature of the work.
“The wage of the labourers rises during the period of planting seedlings and collecting paddy from the field,” said Md Abul Bashar, a recruiter of labourers from Banaripara upazila in Barisal, adding that it remains low rest of the year.
Now wage of the labourers has increased two times compared to other times of the year as it is the period for collecting boro paddy.
The daily wage for a labourer was Tk 700 on Saturday, which was Tk 450 one week ago.
“The demand for labourers has increased now as it is the season for collecting boro paddy,” said Abdul Malek. He said they have little scope for bargain for determining wage as their paddy has ripened fully and started getting damaged in the water. They are to pay high wage to the labourers during this season, he added.
The labourers, however, said they don't get any scope for demanding high wage in the other seasons.
“During the time of planting and collecting paddy we have great demand,” said labourer Md Babul Hawlader from Penakhali village of Nazirpur upazila. They get good wage of their work during the period, said Hawlader, adding that he gets Tk 700 for a day.
Labourers said they can work five to seven days at a house at a time. Sometimes they can shift to other houses or return home, they said.
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