They said they would enforce the strike if the set of demands the government agreed to meet in the agreement signed in January 2004 did not materialise by July 30.

The leaders of Skop, an organisation of labours and employees, at a press conference at its Topkhana Road office in the city also threatened to block all roads in the capital and railway and river routes from dawn to dusk on July 31.

In the 2004 agreement, the government agreed to declare national wage-board and implement it, reopen closed down mills and factories, formulate democratic labour laws as per the ILO convention and halt of privatisation of industries.

The Skop leaders said the government was supposed to implement all the agreed agendas within four months of its signing the agreement. But it has not done anything even after 19 months, they said.

The Skop leaders said discontent among workers is spreading due to continual hike of the price of essentials. In this situation, they urged the government and owners of factories to provide 30 per cent dearness allowance to the workers at garment factories, government offices and factories.

Skop leader Abdul Kader Hawlader said the government's indifference to the problems of the workers led to the uprising in the apparel sector and the same could happen in other sectors. "Workers have been deprived of their legitimate wages and rights for a long time," Abdul Kader added while reading out a written statement.

The Skop leaders said workers of private factories, particularly those of privatised jute and textile mills, have been passing their days in hardship as they are still working under the minimum wage of Tk 560, which was fixed 22 years ago.

They also said workers of the state-owned industries, who are under pay-commission, get monthly salary of Tk 2400, but those who are not included in the pay-commission are getting Tk 1550.

Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal president Abul Kashem Chowdhury, Jatiya Sramik League president Abdul Matin Master, Executive President of Trade Union Kendra Shahidullah Chowdhury and Jatiya Sramik Jote President Mejbah Uddin Ahmed also addressed the press conference.