Jatiya Shromik Shakti demands labour minister’s resignation and a new wage structure within three days

Jatiya Shromik Shakti, an affiliate organisation of the NCP, has expressed solidarity with the ongoing garment workers’ movement and demanded the resignation of the labour minister. The organisation also demanded that a new wage structure be announced within three days.

Leaders of the organisation raised the demands at a press conference held on Tuesday in front of the NCP office at Bangla Motor in the capital.

Present at the press conference were NCP political council member Abdul Hannan Masud MP, Shromik Shakti convener Mazharul Islam Fakir, member secretary Riaz Morshed, chief organiser Arman Hossain and other central leaders.

Abdul Hannan Masud said the wage board had been formed through partisan appointments of the government’s own people, which the workers are not accepting. He said the movement had reached this stage because of the government’s immature decision.

He said workers’ wages must be raised in line with the market precisely in order to protect the industry.

Masud alleged that in various places workers were being attacked with the joint backing of BNP activists and the police. He warned that if such repression continues, the movement of ordinary workers could grow larger and take a different form.

Shromik Shakti convener Mazharul Islam Fakir said the BNP government spent nine months rehabilitating the Awami League and sharing the jhut (garment waste) business with them, and was now looking for the Awami League inside the workers’ movement.

Fakir said responsibility for any alleged Awami League infiltration into the workers’ spontaneous movement lies with the government.