Shipbreaking workers' union demands Tk 36,000 minimum wage

Shipbreaking workers have demanded a minimum monthly wage of Tk 36,000, citing years of inhumane pay structures and hazardous working conditions in one of Bangladesh's riskiest industries.

The demand was raised at a press conference organised by the Shipbreaking Workers' Trade Union Forum in Chattogram today.

In a written statement, forum convener Tapan Dutta said that although a minimum wage of Tk 16,000 was announced in 2018 for eight hours of daily work, it has never been properly implemented.

Instead, some owners force workers to work 12 hours a day while claiming compliance with the minimum wage, which he described as a violation of labour laws and a form of deception.

Tapan urged the minimum wage board authority to fix the grade-4 minimum wage at Tk 36,000 for 2025, propose proportional increases for other grades, and include apprentices in grade-4 after three months of training.

The forum also said that for a five-member family of a worker, a wage below Tk 36,000 cannot cover basic expenses such as food, housing, education, healthcare, transport, and risk allowance.

The forum placed five additional demands, including effective labour inspections; establishment of a 50-bed hospital and worker housing in industrial areas; mandatory appointment letters and ID cards; annual wage revision in line with inflation; and compulsory wage payment through banks or mobile financial services.

Labour leaders from various organisations were present at the event.