New wage board, ration, maternity leave

Leaders and activists of garment workers organisations have demanded the formation of a new wage board, the introduction of rationing system and maternity leave at the 16th biennial conference of the National Garment Workers Federation held at Jatiya Press Club yesterday.

At present, the prices of essential commodities have increased, but the wages of garment workers haven't. Although one crore people across the country have come under the government family card, garment workers have been deprived, they added.

Addressing the event, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said at present, it has become really difficult to run a family with the salaries of the garment workers. Arrangements will be made soon in consultation with the government to introduce rationing system for garment workers, he added.

"A research is needed on how much the owners are buying goods, how much import is being made and how much the workers are getting paid,'' he said, while addressing the programme as chief guest.

Lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon, president of Workers Party, who inaugurated the event, said the garment workers are living an uncertain life in the post-Covid world, especially when prices of daily commodities have skyrocketed.

"The last wage board was fixed in 2018. A 5 percent increase in salaries was promised after three years following a re-evaluation. But it didn't happen. It's time to re-evaluate wages. The national minimum wage, which is stuck in the High Court, also needs to be implemented,'' he added.

Aminul Haque Amin, president of NGWF, presided over the event. He advocated for maternity leave and TCB family cards for garments workers.

Shamsun Nahar, member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the  Ministry of Labour and Employment, and Zobaida Parvin, general secretary  of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association, also spoke.