Female workers denied equal pay
Thousands of women work hand in hand with men at nearly 2,000 stone crushing plants around Burimari land port in Patgram upazila, but their daily wage remain far below than that of their male counterparts.
About 30 percent of the 28 thousand workers at the plants are women and they also toil the same hours -- from 9:00am till 5:00pm, but the daily wage for even the most experienced female worker is Tk 300.
Whereas, the least experienced male worker gets Tk 400 while an experienced one gets Tk 500 for a day’s work at the plants.
Like men, the women also come from nearby villages where work is scarce and payment is even worse. And that is why the women have no other choice but to work at the stone plants despite the fact that men are being paid better than them, said several female workers.
Asma Begum, from Kawamari village in the same upazila, said, “We work hard all day, between 9:00am and 5:00pm, just like men and we are never negligent in our work. But our pay is not the same.”
Though it is disconcerting to know that women are paid less than men for the same work, she has to accept the reality considering that there is no work in her area, said Mariam Begum, another worker from Nabinagar village.
“We all put in same labour, but men take away Tk 400 to Tk 500 daily,” she lamented.
Jangra village resident Hajera Bewa said, “Our demand of equal pay was never entertained by the stone traders. I would quit this laborious job if I found a better one.”
Agreeing with the views of his female co-workers, Moslem Uddin said women work as hard as men and face same risks, but they are paid less than men. “It’s injustice and I’m not happy about it.”
Worker leader Azibar Rahman said realising equal pay for women has been one of their demands, but the stone traders are exploiting the workers, especially women, as unemployment is rife in rural areas.
While speaking with this correspondent, stone trader Mafizar Uddin said the wage of female workers is on the decline as there is too many female jobseekers in the area.
Justifying the inferior wage of female workers, Nur Islam, another stone trader in the area, claimed that female workers do not work as good as the male workers.
He however said he would pay equal wage to women if other stone traders did the same.
When reached for his comment over the issue, Bangladesh Sanjukta Sramik Federation General Secretary in Lalmonirhat Moniruzzaman Monir said they would soon raise the issue at their views exchange meeting with stone traders.
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