Following a severe labour unrest in the garment sector, the government formed a board on May 31 and asked it to recommend a pay structure for workers within three months but the board's meeting on August 29 ended without any decision.

The National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) and Bangladesh Poshak Shilpo Sramik Federation (BPSSF) held separate demonstrations in the city yesterday demanding immediate declaration of a new minimum wage. Otherwise they would go for tougher movements including strike.

The NGWF activists held their demonstration at Muktangan at 11:00am. They said the pay structure has not been declared yet because of the indifference of garment owners and the government.

They declared agitation programmes including protest rallies and processions from September 3 to September 6 at Gazipur, Tejgaon, Mirpur and Ashulia. They will declare greater agitation programmes on September 8.

NGWF President Shahida Sarker, General Secretary Amirul Haque Amin and others addressed the rally.

The BPSSF also held a rally and brought out a procession on the same demand. Its leaders blamed the garment owners and government for ignoring the workers' interest.

BPSSF President Towhidur Rahman, General Secretary Khadiza Begum and other leaders addressed the rally.

General Secretary of Bangladesh Garment Sramik Karmachari Federation Kamrul Ahsan told The Daily Star that they will go for agitation from September 4 to compel the government to declare the minimum wage immediately.

Meanwhile, Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (Skop) at a press conference yesterday said the owners are playing games with the workers, dillydallying in settling the workers' minimum wage and implementing the tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The government, garment owners and the workers' leaders signed the 10-point MoU on June 12 and decided to implement those in phases to address the labour unrest, ensure labour rights and peaceful atmosphere in the factories.

Endorsing the wage board formed on May 31, the MoU set a one-month deadline for addressing nine other issues including issuing appointment letters and identity cards to workers, allowing them one-day weekly holiday and other government holidays according to the existing labour laws, maternity leave for the female workers with regular salary, and overtime if a worker works more than eight hours.

Lack of government initiatives and hostile mood of the garment owners are the main reasons for not honouring the agreement, the Skop leaders said, adding that the owners are hatching plots not to comply with the agreement.

They reiterated that the Skop will not compromise and the government and garment owners will be responsible if fresh movements recur in the garment sector.

The Skop will declare its agitation programmes from a workers' rally at Muktangan on September 11.

Skop Convener Dr Wazedul Islam Khan, General Secretary of Jatiya Sramik League Roy Ramesh Chandra, President of Jatiya Sramik Jote Bangladesh Abdul Qader Howlader, President of Sramik Jote Mesbah Uddin Ahmed and others were present at the press conference.