The government on Thursday fixed the total minimum wage for textile workers at 8,000 taka ($95), up from the existing 5,250 taka, which the authorities said would come into effect in December, bdnews24.com reported.
Workers from trade unions marched in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Friday, chanting slogans against the wage announcement, which they called "inhuman" and "deceptive".
They demanded 16,000 taka as monthly minimum wage in line with the workers' demand and market prices.
"We demanded 16,000 taka as minimum wage two years ago. In the meantime, the living costs got even higher. The announcement of 8,000 taka is an inhuman, unfair and deceptive behaviour for the workers," Joly Talukder, the General Secretary of the Garment Workers' Trade Union Centre told bdnews24.com.
"This government is (an) owner-friendly government. The new minimum wage is a gift for the owners from the government. We cannot accept it under any circumstances," she said.
Anajan Das, the President of the Bangladesh Garments Workers Unity warned the government that it would have to bear the responsibility if the situation got out of their hands after the announcement of the new wage.
"It is impossible to make a living with the wage of 8,000 taka. We hatefully reject this new wage," he said at a separate gathering.
At least one political party extended its support to the agitating workers.
"We did not come here for begging. We came here to ask for the price of our hard work," said Mujahidul Islam Selim, the President of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, while speaking at the Garment Workers' Trade Union Centre.
The government in January created a panel headed by a retired judge to review the minimum wage for the sector, which was last fixed at 5,250 taka on November 1.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association advocated for fixing the new wage at 6,250 taka, while the representatives of the workers proposed raising it to 12,000.
The textile sector has faced intense scrutiny for years because of its working conditions, especially after the collapse of the Rana Plaza complex in 2013, in which 1,100 workers died and 2,500 were injured.
In fiscal year 2017-2018, Bangladesh exported textile products worth $30.6 billion, which represented more than 83 per cent of its total exports, which in that period reached $36.6 billion.
(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
