Amid a growing demand for a new salary structure for workers and ensuring their justified rights, the historic May Day is going to be observed in the country today (Monday).
Trade unions and Readymade Garment (RMG) workers organisations have taken out elaborate programmes to mark the day and press home their demands. The day will also be observed across the globe with a pledge to establish the rights of workers.
May Day, also known as International Workers’ Solidarity Day, commemorates the historic uprising of working people in Chicago, USA at the height of a prolonged fight for an eight-hour workday.
The day is a public holiday.
Garment Workers Trade Union Centre president advocate Mantu Ghos and its general secretary Joly Talukdar in a statement said this year’s May Day will turn into a day for intensifying the movement for raising workers’ wages.
They called upon the workers to strengthen their movement to force the government to announce the national minimum basic wage of Tk 10,000 for the workers while Tk 10,000 as minimum basic wage and minimum total salary of Tk 16,000 for the RMG workers.
They alleged that most workers still cannot enjoy holiday with salary on May Day while their various facilities and rights are being snatched. The platform will arrange separate rallies at Paltan and Tejgaon of the capital and in different industrial areas, including Kanchpur, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Ashulia, Narsingdi and Chittagong, and other parts of the country on the day and thus press home their demand for a new salary structure.
Talking to UNB, Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation (SGSF) President Nazma Akhter said they, on the occasion of May Day, urged the government to ensure a six-month maternity leave for the RMG workers and announce a new wage board for them.
She also called upon the government to ensure the RMG workers’ right to form trade union at every factory to protect their rights and interests.
Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employees League (BNGWEL) president Sirajul Islam Rony said, “We want the new salary structure for workers to enhance their dignity.”
He also urged the government to strongly monitor whether the rules of the labour law are being enforced properly.
Besides, other trade unions and professional groups and socio-political organisations have taken up various programmes to observe the day and press for improving the working conditions with better wages and security for the workers. The programmes include discussions, rallies and processions.
Newspapers will publish supplements while radio and television channels air special programmes highlighting the significance of the day.
Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages greeting the working class people of the country and wishing their overall welfare. They also wished a success of all the May Day programmes.
In his message, the President described the May Day as a unique and magnificent day in the history of establishing rights of working class people.
He hoped that both the owners and workers will put in their best efforts to implement the ‘Vision 2021’ and ‘Vision 2041’ announced by the government.
Hamid said there is no alternative to producing world-class products maintaining good relations between the workers and owners to cope with open market economy in this competitive globalised world.
The Prime Minister, in her message, paid profound homage to the people who embraced martyrdom to establish the basic rights of the working people in Chicago in 1886.
She hoped that the workers and employers will devote themselves to enhancing the production of their factories and mills through maintaining warm relations imbued with the spirit of the historic May Day.
On May 1, 1886, 10 workers were killed when police opened fine on a demonstration in the US city of Chicago near Hay Market demanding an eight-hour working day instead of a 12-hour shift. On the height of agitation, the authorities had to accept the workers’ demand and the eight-hour day has been introduced universally.
On July 14, 1889 in Paris, an international workers’ rally declared May 1 as the International Workers Solidarity Day in recognition of the Chicago workers’ sacrifice and achievement and since 1890, the day has been observed globally as the International Workers Solidarity Day.
