Photo: Bonik Barta The
workers and owners in the ready-made garments sector have reached a consensus
to resolve the ongoing labor unrest. At a briefing today (Tuesday, September
24) at the Secretariat, Labor and Employment Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman
announced that the government and owners have decided to accept the 18-point
demands of the workers. With this consensus reached, labor leaders have urged workers
to return to their work.
During
the briefing, the labor secretary said, “There is unrest in the garment
factories. To resolve this, the workers and owners have agreed on 18 demands.
In the past, workers’ demands were suppressed by the previous government.
Gradually, all rightful demands will be fulfilled.”
The workers’ demands include:
• Reorganizing the wage board and revising the
minimum wage for workers.
• Immediate implementation of the
government-declared minimum wage for 2023 in factories that have not yet
enforced it.
• Amendments
to the labor law.
• After five years of service, if a worker is
dismissed or terminated, they must receive an amount equal to one basic salary.
Section 27 and other conflicting provisions of the labor law must be amended,
and all overdue wages must be paid immediately.
• Attendance bonus (BDT 225), tiffin allowance
(BDT 50), and night shift allowance (BDT 100) must be increased uniformly
across all factories.
• Provident
fund system must be established in all factories.
• Annual
increments of at least 10 percent of the salary must be ensured.
• A
rationing system for workers must be introduced.
• The biometric blacklisting controlled by BGMEA
should be stopped, and the biometric system should remain under government
control.
• All
forms of harassment and politically motivated cases must be withdrawn.
• Measures must be taken to stop the dominance
in the Jhoot (fabric scraps) trade, and laws should be enacted if
necessary.
• Employment
opportunities free from discrimination must be provided in factories.
• Compensation and medical care must be ensured
for workers injured or killed in the July uprising.
• Proper
action should be taken based on investigations for the welfare of those
affected by the Rana Plaza and Tazreen Fashion tragedies.
• Daycare centers must be established in all
factories as per the labor law.
• Unjust
layoffs must be stopped, and maternity leave for female workers must be
extended to 120 days.
