Address RMG workers' grievances

EDITORIAL

These agitations could have been avoided

The Dhaka-Mymensingh highway near the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has been the flashpoint for ongoing workers' protest the last two days. Authorities had stepped in after 5,000 workers from around 20 garment factories located in the Azampur and Abdullahpur areas started protesting on January 7 about the wage disparity in the seventh wage board and its implementation. Though factory workers' demands are justified, in the sense that the new wage board has been gazetted and its implementation was supposed to start from December 1, there remains much confusion amongst workers about how much raise they are entitled to under which grade. For instance, in the new wage structure, a seventh grade salary has been increased to Tk 8,000 from Tk 5,300 but the rate of increase for other grades did not increase at the same rate.

RMG owners have told us that they are implementing the new wage board, but it seems that there is both a gap in information about what is owed at the various salary grades and of course the nonpayment of salaries under the new wage board by a section of factories. While protesting is a democratic right, when protest turns violent and there is damage done purposefully to vehicles plying the highway, such protest becomes unacceptable. People were stuck near Uttara for around five hours and goods-laden vehicles could not reach their respective destinations because of this disruption. The confusion over salaries and the issue of non-payment of salaries under the new structure are serious issues that have to be cleared up by BGMEA, the labour unions and the government immediately. The frustrations and grievances of the RMG workers must be addressed.

• Courtesy: The Daily Star /Jan 09, 2019