Workers branded a 'third force' whenever they protest for wages, garment federation leader tells Press Club rally
Garment workers are being labelled a "third-party force" driven by foreign instigation whenever they protest for higher wages, the president of the Green Bangla Garments Workers Federation, Sultana Begum, has alleged.
She made the allegation on Friday (6 November) at a protest rally and march held in front of the National Press Club.
The rally demanded justice for the killing of garment worker Toufiq, a minimum wage of 30,000 taka for workers, the formation of a wage board, and the unconditional release of arrested worker leader Rozina Akter Sumi and other labour leaders. Speakers also demanded the withdrawal of cases filed against them.
Sultana Begum said workers are branded instigators or a third-party force whenever they protest for a wage rise and a wage board, even though they have taken to the streets only to secure their fair rights.
She said workers, like government employees, must shop in the same markets to run their households, so their wages must be set in line with the cost of living. Workers are being forced to protest because of negligence by the government and owners, she said.
Other speakers at the rally said no initiative on wage rises or a wage board is seen from the authorities unless workers protest, yet workers face arrest and repression when they demonstrate for fair wages.
The speakers demanded the release of the arrested labour leaders and called on the government to take responsibility for treating workers injured in the movement.
The rally was told that on the night of 31 October, detective police arrested four labour leaders, including Rozina Akter Sumi, from in front of the Red Kitchen at the BNS Center under Uttara West police station. They were later taken on four days' remand; after the remand ended their bail applications were rejected and they are now in jail.
The federation's general secretary Md Elias, organising secretary Md Farid Uddin, office secretary Amrin Hossain Annie and publicity secretary Md Taherul Islam, along with other leaders and activists of the organisation, also spoke at the rally.
