Ship-breaking workers demand payment of salary, bonus by 20th Ramadan

The Ship-breaking Workers' Trade Union Forum formed a human chain and held a rally in front of Chattogram Press Club on Friday, demanding payment of wages and Eid bonus by 20th Ramandan.

The forum said under Rule 111(5) of the Bangladesh Labor Code, ship-breaking workers are entitled to receive their festival bonuses, March salary, and partial salary for April by this time.

They urged employers to adhere to these regulations and called upon the Directorate of Inspection of Factories and Establishments to ensure compliance with the law.

Led by Tapan Dutta, president of the forum, and moderated by workers' leader Fazlul Kabir Mintu, the gathering saw participation from labor activists and union representatives, including AM Nazim Uddin, Advocate Zahir Uddin Mahmud, and Shah Jamal, among others.

At the gathering, the workers' leaders highlighted the financial hardships faced by ship-breaking workers, stressing the importance of Eid bonuses to help cover additional expenses during the holy month of Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr.

They said such bonuses are not mere gifts or favours from employers but are rights protected by the labor law.

Concerns were also raised over non-execution of the minimum wage announced for the ship-breaking sector in 2018.

Ship-breaking workers continue to be deprived of fair wages despite working in a hazardous condition risking their lives, they alleged.

The forum demanded that the government introduce a rationing system for all impoverished individuals, including ship-breaking workers, across the country.

Additionally, they called for setting up adequate number of fair-price shops, particularly in areas like Sitakunda, as a sustainable solution to workers' hardship.