FE REPORT
Garment workers' rights activists on Saturday called upon the government to realise their six-point demand, including fixing minimum monthly salary at Tk 25,000.
They also urged the government to form a 'wage board' for implementation of their demands.
The Garment Workers Rights Movement, an alliance of 10 garment workers' associations, came up with the demands during a views-exchange meeting at the Nasrul Hamid Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital.
The meeting discussed the prices of essential commodities from 2018 to 2022.
From 2018 to 2022, prices of rice have increased by 17 per cent while coarse lentil 96 per cent, ata (packed) 72 per cent, soybean oil (loose) 97 per cent, one litre pet bottle soybean oil 78 per cent, five litre pet bottle soybean oil 93 per cent, salt 40 per cent and a hali (four pieces) of eggs by 50 per cent, said the garment workers' leaders.
Considering the present market price, they said the meal cost of a single person living in any part of the capital is around Tk 5,339, while the meal cost for a four-member family is Tk 21,358.
The monthly cost of a four-member family living in the downtown of the capital is Tk 47,182, covering house rent, utility bills, treatment and other household expenditures, and meals (excluding the consumption of red meat, etc), they said.
Moreover, the inflation has been hovering over six per cent for the last six months, while the prices of some essential commodities have also increased by 40 per cent.
Considering the present high prices of essential commodities, a garment worker cannot live decently below Tk 25,000 as minimum monthly salary, said the rights activists.
Rafiqul Islam of Bangladesh Garments Sramik Federation said that the garment workers have been passing a tough time.
Garment Workers Rights Movement acting president Shamim Imam and Coordinator Shahidul Islam Sabuj, President of Bangladesh Textiles Garments Workers Federation Advocate Mahbubur Rahman Ismail and chief of Bangladesh Garments Workers Solidarity Taslima Akhter, among others, were present at the event.
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