Afrida Ahmed
On Thursday, the leaders of labour organisations asked for an increase on the basic salary of the garments workers so that they can lead a proper life and also save money for their future, reports UNB. This demand came up at a discussion which was organised by IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC) at city’s CIRDAP auditorium. According to a survey conducted by IBC, around 64 percent garments workers could not meet their essential needs while 77.2 percent had to do overtime duty to fulfill their demands. Bangladesh Textile Garment Worker League president, ZM Kamal Anam said Bangladeshi workers get less wages compared to the neighboring countries like India and Cambodia. He also said the minimum salary for a sweeper on government pay scale is 15,250 while the minimum salary of a garment worker is 5,300. IBC Secretary General said the authorities should think about increasing wage for the garments workers. South Asia office regional secretary Apoorva Kaiwer said every worker has the right to lead a decent life and IdustryAll is committed to defend that right.