Shajahan Khan MP, a member of the presidium of Awami League and the convener of the Garment Workers' Coordinating Council, said that there is no scope to increase the wages of garment workers after the Prime Minister's announcement.
He said, "Now there is no opportunity to increase wages because, the Prime Minister has urged the workers to start working in this wage structure. If wages are to be increased, the Prime Minister will do it. She has the last word. So there is no other chance.'
He said these things while addressing a press conference organized by the President at Abdus Salam Hall of the National Press Club on Saturday (November 11) regarding the ongoing unrest in the garment industry. The press conference was organized by the 'Garments Sramik Samannay Parishad'.
In a written speech at the press conference, Shajahan Khan said, 'BNP-Jamaat and their like-minded parties are trying to achieve their interests in the gap of garment workers' movement. Since 1985 till now the minimum wage board has been formed to determine wages 6 times. Workers have demanded minimum wages every time. Never has BNP or any other political party demanded the minimum wage of workers. This is the first time BNP has demanded a salary of 23 thousand taka. We think it is their political stunt.
After the written statement, the labor leader answered various questions from the journalists. In response to the question that many leaders of the Garments Sramik Parishad have been seen in various movements of the workers, Shajahan Khan said, "We never wanted to stay away from the workers." Attempts are being made to misunderstand the workers, divert the movement and destroy the government's announcement. Our leaders are staying with the workers so that no one can mislead this movement. We have decided that we will go to the workers, hold meetings and make them understand.
When drawing attention to the workers' dissatisfaction with the wages announced by the government, he said, "We who do labor politics always demand more. If not, the owner wants to pay less. So our demands are a little higher. Due to this, many organizations have demanded different types of salaries. When the Minimum Wage Board announces wages, some of us accept it, some of us don't. But eventually everyone accepts it because, there is no opportunity to hold a new wage board meeting. Therefore, we are working so that the interests of the workers are not destroyed in arranging this wage structure.
In response to a question, the former minister said, 'Workers can make mistakes. But at the end of the day workers are like children to the owners. However, many times it can be observed that the workers do various types of wrongdoing with the intelligence or persuasion of others. Wage Board is constituted in due course. But before this, if the garment owners are tried to disturb the environment by agitation, everyone will suffer. So the claim should be made on time.
The press conference was attended by the leaders and activists of various garment workers' organizations affiliated to the Garment Workers' Samannay Parishad.