Tannery workers demand gazette on minimum wage immediately 

Speakers at a discussion today (12 November) called for the immediate implementation of the recommended minimum wage for the tannery sector. 

At a joint consultation meeting organised by Solidarity Center-Bangladesh held at a city, the tannery workers urged the government to publish a gazette on the recommended minimum wage of Tk18,001 for the sector.

Members of Tannery Workers Union (TWU) and Bangladesh Labour Rights Journalists Forum (BLRJF) attended the meeting.

They stressed the need for strengthening the social and environmental rights of workers in the tannery sector.

Abul Kalam Azad, president of TWU; Abdul Malek, general secretary of TWU; AKM Nassim, country programme director, Solidarity, Bangladesh; Kazi Abdul Hannan, president BLRJF, among others, spoke in the event.

Speakers said after 16 months of formation of the minimum wage board, the recommendation of minimum wage Tk18,001 was placed to the Ministry of Labour. But the ministry is delaying to publish the final gazette to implement the minimum wage in the tannery industry.

The discussion highlighted that the tannery workers are leading a miserable life as they are lowly paid due to lack of wage discipline in the industry.

After shifting the tannery industry to Savar, the tannery workers have been struggling, they said adding that in Hazaribag, the workers got housing in nearby tannery areas, but in Savar tannery, there is no housing facility for the workers.

The speakers said for a sustainable environment in the tannery industry, the immediate implementation of minimum wage is required.