Return to work, let wage board do its job: Labour leaders

Labour leaders have urged readymade garment (RMG) workers to return to their workplaces and avoid disrupting production as a government-formed wage board works to revise their minimum pay.

Representatives of five labour alliances made the appeal at a joint press conference at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) on Friday, calling for dialogue among workers, factory owners and the government to resolve the ongoing unrest.

Mir Abul Kalam Azad, president of the IndustriAll Bangladesh Council, presented the joint statement, according to a press release.

The appeal comes amid renewed protests by garment workers demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, up from the existing Tk 12,500.

The unrest has disrupted production across major industrial areas, including Gazipur, Ashulia, Savar and Dhaka's Mirpur. On November 1, operations were disrupted at 529 factories, affecting nearly 990,000 workers, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Although many factories subsequently reopened, fresh disruptions continued this week. Industry reports on Thursday indicated that more than 200 factories had suspended production, while several others faced indefinite closure.

The labour leaders acknowledged workers' financial struggles, saying rising house rents and essential commodity prices had made higher wages necessary.

However, they warned that violence, vandalism and factory closures would deepen workers' financial insecurity, particularly during November and December, which they described as crucial months for the industry.

They welcomed the government's decision to form a six-member minimum wage board on November 1 and urged it to determine a reasonable wage based on workers' living costs and economic realities.

The organisations said the wage structure introduced in 2023 had failed to keep pace with inflation.

They also welcomed amendments reducing the minimum wage review interval from five years to three years and the increase in annual wage increments from 5% to 9% under the 2024 tripartite agreement.

Beyond wage increases, the leaders called for regulated house rents, affordable accommodation, improved healthcare and education, rationing facilities and essential civic services in industrial areas.

They welcomed the Prime Minister's commitments to establish hospitals in industrial zones and provide subsidised rice to garment workers, urging swift implementation.

The alliances also called on factory owners to ensure fair wages and settle disputes through negotiations rather than factory closures.

Warning that political and business interests could exploit the unrest, they urged workers to avoid actions that might undermine the wage review process.