Apparel workers block road, demand wage hike

Thousands of apparel workers from factories at Uttara, Abdullahpur, Azampur and the adjacent areas blockaded the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway from Airport to Abdullahpur in the capital from Sunday morning to press the demand of wage hike.
Their protests halted traffic movement on the usually busy highway from 9AM to 2PM causing sufferings to travellers and commuters.
Protesters said that in October last year, the monthly wage of apparel workers in the seventh grade increased to Tk 8,000 from Tk 5,300. But the wages in other grades did not increase at the same rate.
The new wage structure disappointed the workers for which they were compelled to take the streets, Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre executive president Kazi Ruhul Amin told New Age. 
In the 7th grade, the gross minimum wage increased by 51 per cent but it did not increase in the other grades proportionately, he said.
Workers said that the wages should be increased proportionately in all the grades for implementation without any delay. 
Dhaka Metropolitan Police said that around 10,000 workers of different factories including Chaity Garments, Shanta Garments, Nipa Garments, Top Jeans and Basic Garment blockaded the highway at several points including Abdullapur, Jasimuddin, Airport and Azampur.
DMP assistant deputy commissioner Mijanur Rahman said that the workers withdrew the blockade after factory owners gave the assurance that their demands would met.
‘The highway blockade was peaceful,’ he said.
Bank executive Md Monir Hossain told New Age in front of the airport at about 1.30PM that his plans to resume duty failed due to the demonstrations. 
He was on his way to a bank branch at Mohakhali after spending the weekend in Tangail.
Thousands of people were seen on the road to reach destinations on foot. 
Simultaneously hundreds of apparel workers of Standard Group held demonstrations at Hemayetpur while workers of JK Group at Genda, Savar, on the same demand.
In the aftermath of the workers’ unrest all the factory authorities closed their units for the rest of the day.
Superintendent of Dhaka Industrial police Sana Shaminur Rahman said that additional police force was deployed across the industrial belt.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Siddiquer Rahman said that they would pay the wages according to the structure fixed by the government.
He said that there was no scope to increase the wages now.
He said BGMEA would take action against any factory owner that did not implement the new wage structure.
The government in its gazette in October published the new wage structure for the garment after five years. The new wage structure became effective from December 1.
The latest wage structure fixed minimum gross wage at Tk 8,000 up from Tk 5,300 declared in 2013.
The sixth grader operator would get monthly gross Tk 8,405, Tk 8,855 for 5th grader operator, Tk 9,345 for 4th grader operator, Tk 9,590 for 3rd grader senior operator on monthly basis.
A 2nd grade worker would get the gross wage of Tk 14,630 and the 1st grader --Tk 17,510 per month.
The wage hike for the beginners was more than their senior colleagues who put in seven to eight years’ service. 
Apparel workers were on the street for years demanding fixing the basic wage at the entry point at Tk 10,000 and the gross wage at Tk 16,000 per month and proportional hikes in the other grades.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net