Garment workers threaten movement

21 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Leaders of Garment Sramik Trade Union Kendra yesterday threatened to launch a tough movement if the government does not fix Tk 5000 as minimum wages for a garment worker by July 27. The trade union held a rally at Muktangan in the city to press home their 10-point demand, including ensuring rights to trade union and providing housing and healthcare facilities. The labour leaders said the Awami League had pledged before the election to increase the salary of workers, but it has only raised the salaries of government employees and ministers and lawmakers. Due to price hike of essentials, the garments workers with their meager income are going through severe hardship, they said. They said the government has already doubled the salary of ministers, lawmakers and government officials considering the price hike of essentials, but the garments workers are being neglected. CPB president Monjurul Ahsan Khan, labour leader Sahidullah Chowdhury, engineer Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah, advocate Mantu Ghosh and KM Ruhul Amin spoke at the rally presided over by Trade Union Kendra president Idris Ali.