The New Nation - Internet Edition

Syful Islam

Price spiral of essential commodities and low wages have made the lives of garment workers and low paid people's full of agony.

"I get only Tk 2,000 as salary from which I have to spend at least Tk 1200 for food, Tk 500 as house rent and Tk 200 as bus fare. I can left no money to send to my family living in Barishal," said Asma, 16, a garment worker at the city's Chowdhurypara area.

She said she has to work nearly 10 hours a day and 60 to 70 hours a week. "With this paltry wages I can't even meet my daily expenses, leaving alone helping my parents," she said with a tone of helplessness.

She pointed out that price of per kilogram of coarse rice has shot up to Tk 36 to Tk 38, egg costs Tk 7 and thus she can't dearm of eating an egg for its exorbitant price."

Arif Hossain, 28, working in another garment factory in city's Badda area facing the same difficulties to run his three-member family with the salary he is getting now.

"I get only Tk 3,500 as salary from which I have to pay Tk 2,000 as house rent. From the rest Tk 1,500 I have to buy food for my family but I can't afford to buy milk for my child," Arif said.

In the last one-year prices of almost all commodities have gone up beyond the reach of the common section of people. Low paid people especially the garment industry workers are struggling for their survival in the wake of price hike of essentials.

The government fixed minimum wages at Tk 1662 for garment workers in October 12, 2006 following the massive labour unrest in the RMG industry. BGMEA president Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez told The New Nation that all the garment factories have implemented the minimum wages fixed by the government.

Rahim Mollah, a garment worker at Pallabi area, said prices of daily necessities have skyrocketed since 2006 when the government fixed the minimum wages of the garment workers. The wage structure of 2006 has no relevance now, he said adding " The government has announced 20 percent dearness allowance for government employees, but what measures the government has taken for us for mitigating our plight."

"The government has already declared a 20 percent dearness allowance for the government employees. I am yet to see any steps by the government for people in private service," he said. "Is government going to do anything for us?" he asked.

BGMEA president Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez told The New Nation that at present the factory owners have no scope to do anything for the workers.

"The increased fuel price has squeezed our capacity as the production cost has gone up by Tk 600 crore per year in this sector," he said.

"We are facing shortages of manpower… it became tough for us to run the factory under this changed situation. Some of the factories are likely to shut down due to manpower shortages and increased fuel price," said the apex garment body chief.

RMG sector is facing 25 to 30 per cent shortage of manpower, he informed.

Parvez called upon the government to launch food-rationing system for the garment workers or continue open market sale of rice and other commodities considering their sufferings.