Building 'Smart Bangladesh' requires smart workers: Speakers at May Day rally
Speakers at a human chain and rally programme today (3 May) said building a 'Smart Bangladesh' will require smart workers.
The speakers emphasised that without adequate remuneration, the vision of a 'Smart Bangladesh' championed by the prime minister risks being relegated to a hollow slogan.
Speakers said this at the rally organised to observe 'May Day' by the Shipbreaking Workers Trade Union Forum in front of the Chattogram Press Club premises.
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The rally underscored the indispensable role of fair wages in fostering a truly 'smart' workforce.
Led by Tapan Dutta and Fazlul Kabir Mintu, president and member secretary of the forum, the gathering saw the participation of prominent figures in the labour movement, including AM Nazim Uddin, Jamal Jamal, Didarul Alam Chowdhury, Rabiul Haque Shimul, Md Ali, Md Idrich, KM Shahidullah, Abu Ahmed Miah, Md Manik Mondal, and Md Solaiman, among others.
The central focus of the rally was the fundamental demand for an eight-hour workday, echoing the principles set forth by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in its Convention No. 1. Despite the inclusion of this provision in the Bangladesh Labour Act, the reality on the ground, especially in sectors like shipbreaking, paints a starkly different picture. Labourers endure meagre wages that render basic survival untenable, compelling them to accept overtime work, a practice diametrically opposed to the spirit of May Day.
Speakers at the rally lamented the non-implementation of the minimum wage announced for Ship-breaking workers since 2018, underscoring the urgent need for its enforcement. With five years having elapsed since the initial announcement, labour laws mandate a revision, yet both governmental and industrial stakeholders remain inert on this front.
The event culminated in a massive procession of Ship-breaking workers, brandishing red umbrellas, which traversed the main thoroughfares of the city before converging at the Andarkilla intersection. Here, amidst chants for justice and equitable treatment, the resounding call for the immediate introduction of a rationing system at fair prices echoed through the streets.
