Roundup: Workers in key Bangladeshi apparel hub continue abstention for pay hike

Tens of thousands of garment workers Monday again staged demonstration in a key Bangladeshi apparel hub on the outskirts of capital Dhaka, demanding higher minimum wage.

The workers of scores of factories in Ashulia also abstained from work on Monday.

A senior police official in Ashulia industrial zone told Xinhua that the workers, who are virtually staging demonstration for last couple of months for pay hike, took to the streets in the industrial zone for the third consecutive day running Monday.

The official who refused to be identified said the protestors demanded a minimum basic wage of 10,000 taka.

Fearing violence, he said scores of garment factories in Ashulia have declared a holiday on Monday.

According to the official, the additional security measures have been put in place to thwart any untoward situation.

The last minimum wage was set at 5,300 taka, raising 77 percent, in 2013 after a Bangladeshi government board recommended the same for the country's some 4 million garment workers, 80 percent of whom are women.

Bangladeshi garment workers' organizations had earlier handed over a memorandum to the government's Minimum Wages Board, demanding 16,000 taka minimum monthly wage.

Terming the existing 5,300 taka minimum wage inadequate compared with the living cost, Moshrefa Mishu, a leader of workers, said living expenses shot-up multi-fold during the last three years, but wages of the garment workers have not increased.

"Our backs are against the wall as almost all the expenditure, including house rent, transportation cost, prices of gas and electricity, cost of education, medical treatment and prices of daily essentials surged over the last years."

Considering the rising living cost, she said the government has already hiked pay for public servants.

"Against such situations we're forced to raise our voice strongly for pay hike now instead of later."

Sources said the Bangladeshi government is in talks with all the relevant stakeholders including factory owners on a new minimum wage. (1 U.S. dollars equals about 80 taka) Endit