Protests over wage disparity rage

Apparel workers' protest over the latest "anomalous" wage hike continued unabated with the trouble raging to other key industrial hubs on Tuesday.
On the third day, police fired rubber bullets and teargas shells alongside turning water cannon on demonstrators to control the situation in Uttara, Savar, Ashulia and Mirpur areas.
Several people, including policemen, were injured in the clashes that badly hampered production in a number of factories, triggering concern among manufacturers.
Violence was reported in Savar industrial belt when workers from several factories in Hemayetpur area took to the streets.
The sewing machinists have been demanding proportionate pay rise for all seven graders in the new structure that took effect from December 01, 2018.
Security has been stepped up in all ready-made garment zones to avert any further trouble in the country's highest foreign currency-earning sector.
Bangladesh fetched nearly $31 billion last fiscal year through making apparel for top global retailers like H&M, Inditex, C&A, M&S, Wal-Mart, Tesco, GAP, Levi's, Zara and JC Penny.
On the same demand, garment workers in Kalshi area registered a protest, halting vehicular movement there that caused immense suffering to commuters.
Meanwhile, the people negotiated nagging congestion in different parts of the city all day for the reason.
According to protestors, monthly pay in the seventh grade rose to Tk 8,000 from Tk 5,300 as per the gazette published by the government last year.
But salary of workers in other grades did not increase at the same rate.
The pay for an entry-level worker was more than that of their seniors with over seven years' experience.
Disparity in pay hike was noticed in third and fourth grades as their salaries were not raised commensurate with that of entry-level workers, they observed.
In most grades, other than the seventh, only Tk 500 was raised in the new structure, whereas an entry-level worker's salary rose by Tk 2,700 at one go.

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