Tannery workers protest demanding minimum wage implementation in Savar

Tannery workers employed in various factories within the tannery industrial estate in Savar are staging a strike and protest, demanding the immediate implementation of the government-declared minimum wage.

On Tuesday (28 January), hundreds of workers gathered on the main road inside the industrial estate near the Apex Tannery, under the banner of the Tannery Workers Union. The protest began at 10am and is expected to continue until noon, with workers warning of tougher actions if their demands remain unmet.

The protesting workers expressed their frustration, stating that while minimum wages in other sectors were implemented promptly after being announced, tannery owners have delayed enforcement under various pretexts.

Speaking to the media, Nilufa, a member of the Tannery Workers Union and an employee at Apex Tannery, said, "The government announced minimum wages for us across five grades through the wage board, with the lowest grade set at Tk18,000."

"The announcement was made with the agreement of all stakeholders. However, now the owners are claiming that the wages are too high for them to bear," she said.

She further said, "We, the tannery workers, work tirelessly day and night and earn only Tk8,000–Tk10,000. How can anyone run a household with such a salary?"

Another worker, Faruk Hossain, said, "The government announced our minimum wage and published the gazette on 21 November last year. However, despite the gazette, the wages have not yet been implemented. We will continue our protest until our demands are met."

Abdul Malek, general secretary of the Tannery Workers Union, said, "We have held numerous discussions with the owners, but they have still not implemented the minimum wage."

When contacted, Md Sakhawat Ullah, general secretary of the Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA), informed that, "Discussions with all parties are ongoing. We are hopeful that we can reach a fair resolution to this crisis through dialogue very soon."