Workers demand for better rights in Ashulia on May Day

Bangladesh Garment Workers Solidarity Central Committee held rallies and discussions in all areas with factories including Ashulia, Savar, Gazipur, Chattogram and Narayganj.

Taslima Akhtar, president of the organisation, inaugurated the red rally and procession in front of Fantasy Kingdom in Ashulia around 9:30am on 1 May.

Organising secretary Prabir Saha, President (Ashulia) Ziadul Islam, General Secretary (Ashulia) Billal Hossain, central members Sabina Akhtar, Shahida Akhtar, Alea Begum and other local leaders spoke at the rally.

Speakers at the assembly said, today is the 138th year of May Day. In America, four people lost their lives protesting for eight-hour workdays in the city of Chicago. Many workers were injured and arrested. Based on that, eight hours of workday has been recognised all over the world. But even if the workers of Bangladesh receive eight hours on paper, they cannot sustain with the wage they make working those hours. So, they are forced to work overtime.

Sometimes the workers are put to work with low or no wages on various pretexts, they said.

They also said the provision for overtime or additional work has been increased from two hours to four hours in the labour law. So, they end up working 12 to 14 hours often. The workers demanded an eight hour work.

This situation called upon all to unite in the struggle to save the lives and dignified wages of the workers in 8 hours.

"There is no such thing as rest in the life of the workers of our country. Rest and entertainment are only luxuries in the life of a worker. There is no national wage in Bangladesh," said a protestor.

The protestors demanded a dignified national wage for 8 hours of work. They say wages should be such that the worker can survive on 8 hours of labor without losing their youthful energy.