The
National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) today (October 14, 2016) launched
campaign for wage increase of garment workers. The campaign is titled “Living
wage….fair price of garment products”. Through this campaign, NGWF is demanding
fair price of garment products in order to ensure ‘living wage’ for 4.2 million
garment workers. The campaign started with a colourful rally. The rally began
from in front of National Press Club in Dhaka city.
Presided
over by NGWF President & IBC Chairperson Amirul Haque Amin, the program was
addressed by IndustryALL Bangladesh Council (IBC) Executive Committee and President
of Sammilito Garment Workers Federation Mrs Nazma Akter, IBC Vice-President
& General Secretary of Bangladesh Garment & Industrial Workers
Federation Mrs Aleya Begum, NGWF General Secretary Ms Safia Parvin, Central
leaders Md Faruque Khan, Mrs Nasima Akter, Md Kabir Hossain & Rafiqul Islam
Rafique, among others. The program was also attended by leaders of 40
factory-level trade unions, which are affiliated with NGWF.
The
speakers said, “Garment sector is the biggest industrial sector of Bangladesh.
The sector contributes 82 per cent of the export earnings of the country. But,
the wages of garment workers is very low. The wages of RMG sector workers are
far behind the countries that started the industry recently & that does not
match with China & Thailand.
“The
minimum wage for garment workers in Cambodia is US$ 140; it is US$ 155 in
Vietnam, US$ 200 in Indonesia and US$ 85 in Myanmar, while minimum wage for
garment workers in Bangladesh is US$ 68. So, changing of the minimum wage to
‘living wage’ is highly imperative for RMG workers, who are receiving far less
money, in Bangladesh,” they said.
The
speakers stressed the need for ensuring fair price for garment products in
order to establish ‘living wage’ for garment workers.
“The
multinational companies (buyers) give US$ 10 to US$ 12 for a dozen of T-shirt
to the producers in Bangladesh while they are selling each of those T-shirt
minimum at US$ 5. In this way, the buyers are ripping profits of US$ 50 to US$
51 from these T-shirts. The massive gap between buying & selling of garment
products by multi-national & buyers companies does not at all match with
‘fair trade’.
On
the other hand, the speakers observed that the MNCs & buyers pay lesser
price for Bangladeshi products citing different pleas than the price they pay to
the producers of China, Indonesia & Cambodia. This is not justified, they
added.
The
speakers made a clarion call to the MNCs, buyers, Bangladesh government, BGMEA,
BKMEA & RMG factory owners to ensure living wage & fair price for
garment products.
Immediately
after the rally, a colourful procession of garment workers, mostly women,
paraded through Paltan Crossing, Press Club, High Court & Topkhana Road
& concluded in front of the NGWF central office. Hundreds of workers join
in the procession holding high Bangladesh National Flag, red & green flags.
N.B:
Please find the pictures of the program in the attached files.
Press
Secretary
NGWF
