New wage board for RMG workers soon: Shahjahan Khan

The government would take initiatives to form a new wage board to increase the wages of garment workers soon, said former shipping minister and a member of the parliamentary standing committee on the labour and employment ministry Shajahan Khan.

He said this on Monday at a meeting of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) under the labour and employment ministry to discuss the issue of labour unrest in order to resolve it.

State Minister for Labour Begum Mannujan Sufian is in Geneva, Switzerland now to attend the International Labour Conference, said Shahjahan. 
 
This issue would be taken up after her return to the country, he told the reporters after the meeting ended. 
 
The wage board would be formed as soon as possible after consulting with the prime minister, he further said.

He also informed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had taken into consideration the issue of giving ration cards to the workers.

With the cards, workers of all sectors, including garment industry, will get the opportunity to purchase essential commodities at low prices.

The last time wages of garment workers were increased in 2018. Then the minimum wage was fixed at TK8,000. 
 
Over the last four years, the cost of living has gone up and so have the prices of daily necessities. 
 
So the garment workers protested for the fourth day in different areas of Mirpur and Uttara demanding an increase in their wages. 
 
They took position on the road. Police dispersed them by charging batons on them and firing tear gas.
 
A garment worker Saif, who took part in the movement in the Mirpur area, told TBS that his salary had not increased in the last four years. 
 
"We took to the streets on a logical demand to raise the wages but the police attacked us. Many of us have been injured. We will continue the movement until the demands are met," said Saif.
 
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Mirpur Division, Md Mahbub said workers had blocked the road in the morning. 
 
"We removed them from the road to keep traffic flowing. Five of our members were injured when the workers hurled bricks at them," he said.

Regarding the labour unrest in Mirpur and Uttara, Shajahan Khan said workers could never vandalise institutions. 

"The factories will be open as usual from Tuesday," Shajahan Khan said calling on the workers to go back to work '

"BNP is trying to return to the power by taking unfair advantage of the workers and such movements," he alleged.