Ensure proper pay, social security to workers

Demand trade union leaders

3 October 2011, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Bangladesh Chapter of World Federation of Trade Unions organises a rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the city yesterday marking the International Action Day.Photo: STAR

Workers struggle to live their life in Bangladesh as they are not paid considering the rising price of essentials in the markets, said leaders and workers of different trade unions in the country yesterday. Besides, workers often have to work additional hours but do not get their due money or they have to work in vulnerable working conditions without any social security, they said. They were speaking at a rally in front of Jatiya Press Club in the city to press home a number of demands including better wages and social security for the workers and freedom of running free trade unions. The Bangladesh Chapter of World Federation of Trade Unions organised the rally marking International Action Day. Following the rally, several hundred leaders and workers of the chapter's six wings brought out a procession with similar demands. Razequzzaman Ratan, general secretary of Socialist Labour Front, said “Freedom of running trade unions is a democratic right of the workers and we place collective arguments before the owners through such unions.” The day was also observed in other countries of the world to ensure workers' rights, he said. Presiding over the rally, Shafi Uddin Ahmed, a trade union leader, demanded introduction of rationing system for the workers to cope up with the increasing price of essentials. He also demanded release of the workers arrested illegally at different times in the country. Trade union leaders also demanded five working days and 35 working hours in a week for the workers.