Khalequzzaman, General Secretary, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal : Government factory workers receive minimum wage of Tk 17,820, but workers of non-government factories will get only Tk 8,000? This cannot happen. This vast difference between the wage rates is a form of discrimination. Our constitution calls for abolishing all forms of inequality and discrimination. Therefore this vast difference in wages is in clear violation of the constitution.
It is almost impossible for a worker to lead a life in Dhaka with just 8,000 taka. Workers toil and sweat just for their basic needs. They struggle every day just to be able to eat. But unfortunately, we could not even guarantee the respect and dignity of their labor. With the current economy, it is not possible for a worker’s family to survive in the capital with the current minimum wage rate. Is the government even aware of this? Of course they do, but merely knowing will solve nothing. It must make the minimum wage equal to that of government factory workers.
We have called for an end to this discrimination in wage rates among factory workers. To this end, we have even called for legalizing a just minimum wage. We hope that this is fulfilled soon.
Based on an interview by Ashiq Rahman, translated by Abrar Hussain