Tannery Workers Union demands gazette issuance on minimum wage

The discussants have stressed on implementing the recommended minimum wages for the workers of tannery industry.

Solidarity Center-Bangladesh organised a joint consultation meeting at a hotel in Dhaka on Tuesday.

At the programme, the speakers urged the government to publish a gazette on the recommended minimum wage of Tk1,8001 for the tannery sector.

Members of Tannery Workers Union (TWU) and Bangladesh Labour Rights Journalists Forum (BLRJF) joined the meeting.

The participants emphasised the need for cementing the social and environmental rights of workers in the the sector.

The persons who spoke in the event include Abul Kalam Azad, Président of TWU; Abdul Malek, General Secretary of TWU; AKM Nassim, Country Programme Director, Solidarity, Bangladesh; Kazi Abdul Hannan, president BLRJF. 

The speakers said after 16 months of formation of the minimum wage board, the recommendation of minimum wage Tk18001 was placed to the Ministry of Labour. But the ministry is delaying to publish the final gazette to implement the minimum wage in the tannery industry.

The discussion highlighted that the tannery workers are leading a miserable life as they are lowly paid due to lack of wage discipline in the industry.

After shifting the tannery industry to Savar, the tannery workers have been struggling, they said.

In Hazaribag, the workers got nearby tannery areas, but, there are no housing, medical and educational facilities nearby the Savar tannery.

The speakers said the immediate implementation of minimum wage is urgently required for a sustainable environment in the tannery industry.