Worker representatives of the Minimum Wage Board for RMG sector have said they will initiate talks with all garment worker federations and organisations to prepare a consensus-based wage proposal that ensures fair pay for workers in the ready-made garment (RMG) sector.
The announcement was made at a press conference held at Labour Bhaban in the capital this morning.
They also demanded the immediate release of workers and labour leaders detained in connection with the ongoing protests, and the withdrawal of what they termed harassment cases filed against them.
Anwar Hossain, permanent worker representative on the Wage Board and a leader of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, presided over the event.
Board worker representatives and labour leaders Babul Akhter, Nazma Akter, Mosa. Sultana Begum, Lovely Yasmin, Khaliquzzaman Lipu and Sohel Rana, among others, were present.
In a written statement, the representatives said the cost of living for workers has risen sharply amid the current market situation.
Workers are struggling daily to meet expenses on housing, food, healthcare, education and other family needs, they said, stressing the urgency of framing a fair and realistic wage structure in line with living costs.
They said one of the board's first initiatives would be a joint consultation with representatives of all RMG worker federations and organisations.
A consensus wage proposal, based on everyone's opinions, experiences, suggestions and the real needs of workers, will be prepared and placed before the board.
Setting aside differences, they said, everyone must work together to ensure a wage that is fair, acceptable and implementable.
Addressing the agitating workers, they said they understand and respect their demands and sufferings, and that those demands will be duly placed before the wage board.
However, in the interest of the industry, they urged everyone to remain patient, maintain a peaceful environment and return to work to keep production running normally.
The written statement also said the absence of effective trade unions in garment factories, and the lack of bipartite or tripartite social dialogue between owners and workers, often causes labour unrest to spiral out of control.
A third party exploits such situations, it said, adding that responsibility for such incidents should not be placed on labour organisations or the working class.
It is the government's duty to identify those behind the unrest and take action, they said.
They urged police and the government not to harass ordinary workers and factory-level labour leaders under the pretext of the movement.
The representatives said lasting peace in the industry cannot be established by ignoring workers' legitimate demands, and called for prompt consideration of those demands and an early meeting of the wage board.
Demanding the immediate release of those detained over alleged involvement in the wage movement, they said anyone held merely for raising the demand for fair wages or taking part in a peaceful movement must be freed.
Harassing cases and other measures must also be withdrawn, they added.
They further said the government and factory owners must ensure that no worker faces dismissal, harassment, blacklisting or retaliatory action over the movement.
The representatives called for taking into account workers' living costs, inflation, families' basic needs and the overall condition of the industry in determining an acceptable wage structure.
They pledged to work with the utmost sincerity, honesty and responsibility as workers' representatives, saying they want to build a collective position based on the views of all worker federations, factory-based unions and rank-and-file workers, rather than any single decision.