Minimum wage: Leather workers call off strike after meeting with owners

Leather workers have withdrawn their strike following a fruitful meeting with employers and industry leaders regarding the implementation of government-declared minimum wages across five grading levels.

"All ongoing protests and work stoppages regarding the demand for minimum wage implementation have been withdrawn," Tannery Workers Union General Secretary Abdul Malek told The Business Standard after the meeting held on Thursday at the Dhanmondi office of the Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather goods and Footwear Exporters' Association.

Md Sakhawat Ullah, senior vice president of the Bangladesh Tanners Association, said, "A committee has been formed during the meeting, comprising representatives from the Tanners Association, Finished Leather Association, and the Workers Union."

The committee will review all issues related to the grading system and provide recommendations within the next 8 to 10 days. After receiving the recommendations, all parties will meet again to finalise decisions for implementation, he added.

Tannery Workers Union leader Malek further said that while progress was made, some discrepancies in the grading system remain.

"For example, Grade 1 currently includes 13 positions, and employers raised objections about some roles. Some roles in Grade 2 might be more appropriately placed in Grade 3. The committee will analyse these matters to bring consistency and order," he explained. 

The next meeting is scheduled for 28 April.

On 19 April, tannery workers staged a protest in Savar, announcing that they would stop working overtime after regular hours if their demands remained unmet.