Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today (Sunday) said the construction work of entire structure of the much-awaited Padma Bridge has been completed with the installation of last girder on the viaduct at Mawa end in Munshiganj. “The progress of construction works of the main bridge is 93.25 percent so far. River training works progress is 83 percent and the overall project progress reached 85.5 percent,” he said, speaking at a view-exchange with BRTC and BRTA’s Sylhet Zone officials. Quader, also Awami League general secretary, joined the meeting virtually from his official residence in Dhaka. The minister hoped Padma Bridge would be opened for vehicular movement in June, 2022. Turning to coronavirus situation, he said it is very difficult to understand the characteristics of Covid-19 as it is taking different forms in different times. So, there is no alternative to maintaining health guidelines and wearing facemask appropriately, he said. “We will have to give much attention to maintaining health guidelines,” he added. Referring to the terrible condition in neighboring India, he said Covid-19 patients are in severe crisis of oxygen and beds at hospitals in that country while many patients are dying before reaching hospital. They are not getting crematorium and graveyards for last rituals of the Covid-19 victims, he mentioned. “So, we will have to remain alert at the highest level,” he said. Mentioning that there is no need of worries over vaccines, he said as long as humanitarian leader like Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is holding the helm of the country, the nation will overcome the crisis of Covid-19 one day. About Dhaka-Sylhet and Sylhet-Tamabil Highway Project, the minister said now this is one of the priority projects. So, much importance should be given to upgrading the highway to four-lane. He said recently the project works have been accelerated. Quader urged the concerned ministry’s secretary and chief engineering to make further efforts to begin the construction work of the project quickly. Source: BSS AH

As a result of ongoing movement of garment workers and following consensus of all associated the government has decided to adjust the wage in number 3, 4 and 5 grades for interest of the workers. The revised wage structure will be showed active from December last and will be adjusted with the salaries of workers from next February. State Minister of Labor and Employment Munnujan Sufian announced the wage structure at the conference room of the ministry on Sunday afternoon. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Labor and Employment Secretary Afroza Khan and others concerned were present at that time. After the adjustment in wage structure, in the first grade the salary increases by 5 thousand 257 taka and stands at 18 thousand 257 taka, in second grade it increases by 4 thousand 516 taka and stands at 15 thousand 416 taka, I third grade it increases by 3 thousand 40 taka and stands at 9 thousand 845 taka. Besides, in fourth grade the salary increases by 2 thousand 927 taka and stands at 9 thousand 347 taka, in fifth grade it increases by 2 thousand 833 taka and stands at 8 thousand 875 taka, in sixth grade it increases by 2 thousand 742 taka and stands at 8 thousand 420 taka. In the seventh grade the salary is kept at eight thousand taka like it was mentioned the gazette. In the declared wage structure of 2013 the lowest grade salary was 5 thousand 300 taka. After the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to increase wages of apparel workers in a logical rate, the decision was taken by the ministry of labor and employment. In this way, following the final decision salaries for the workers have increased in six grades out of seven grades. AH

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed to increase the wages for garment workers with a logical rate. According to the earlier declared wage structure there was no desired salary increasing in some grades and for that reason on pretext of the ongoing unrest in the garment sector, the government has decided to revise the disparity in the existing grades. State Minister for Labor and Employment Begum Munnujan Sufian announced about the integrated wage structure according to the direction of the Prime Minister at the conference room of the ministry on Sunday. According to the source, Prime Minister of the workers friendly government Sheikh Hasina has directed to adjust the wages of 3,4,5 grades with the grades 1 and 2. After the adjustment the wages will increase in a logical rate in every grade. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) clearly said that if the workers do not join their workplaces by Monday (14 January) then salaries will not be paid. BGMEA president Siddiqur Rahman said this on Sunday at a press briefing arranged over the ongoing situation of the garments industry. The garment workers are demonstrating through abstaining from their work in different parts of the country including the capital for the last several days to press home their demands of changing the wage structure and for paying promised wages according to the new wage structure. AH         

Readymade garment workers are staging demonstrations in different parts of the capital demanding implementation of the new wage structure. Some factories are kept closed to prevent the labor unrest. The workers staged demonstrations indiscriminately on roads from 8 am on Saturday. Clashes are taking place with police over the incidents. The angry workers also vandalized some vehicles. From the morning the garment workers came out on roads in different areas like Bhashantek, Shewrapara of Mirpur. At that period some workers were injured while clashes with police. Some vehicles were also vandalized. Officer in Charge of Mirpur police station Dadan Fakir said that they were trying to make the workers calm down. Officer in Charge of Bhashantek police station Munsi Sabbir Ahmed said, several thousand workers took their position on roads of Bhashantek area from the morning. As a result vehicles movement remained stalled. Efforts were going on to move them away from roads. The garment workers are staging demonstrations by phases for the last one week. The labor ministry on November 25 issued gazette for the new wage structure in garment industry. There the lowest wage was fixed at 8 thousand taka. The new wage structure was active from December. Following the new wage structure the workers began to get their salaries from the current month. Earlier the lowest wage was 5 thousand 300 taka. On the first week of last December a number of factory workers of Narayanganj and Gazipur went for movement alleging discrimination in the new wage structure. Following efforts of BGMEA and some labor organizations the movement got a little bit motionless before the election. But on Sunday last some workers in Dhaka’s Uttara came down to the streets again and later it spread in different parts of Dhaka. The workers alleged that in the new wage structure they did not get the desired salaries. On some cases salary has decreased than the previous wage structure. As the workers took their position on roads the new government took immediate measures and formed a committee to reevaluate the wage structure. A 12-member committee comprising 5 representatives from owners, 5 from workers and Commerce Secretary and Labor Secretary was formed. The committee will find out the discriminations of wages and will take steps to solve the problem within one month. The committee held its first meeting on Thursday. Committee chief Labor Secretary Afroza Khan assured that after reviewing coordination will be made over the three disputed grades out of seven of the new wage structure. State Minister for Labor Monnujan Sufian urged the workers to calm down and said, speeches of all will be heard with patience. After hearing, if there is any discrimination in basic or gross level that will be solved. The problems will be solved within short span of time. If there is any discrimination in the wage structure then that will be solved. AH  

State Minister of Labor and Employment Monnujan Sufian has assured the garments workers to fulfill all their demands within next one month. She urged all to go back to work places after informing her decision to review the under implementation wage structure. The government sat for a meeting with representatives of workers and owners on Tuesday afternoon following garments workers unrest for the fourth consecutive day. Representatives of law enforcing agencies also took part in the meeting. After the meeting State Minister Monnujan Sufian said, if there is any discrimination in the new wage structure then that will be driven away. If anybody gets less salary at present then that will be paid with the next month’s salary as due.   She said, our Prime Minister is very workers friendly. She herself has recommended for wage hike for the garments workers. Now the decision has taken to solve the matter through discussion if there is any problem in the new wage structure. So there will be no chaos. After the meeting Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said, decision was taken to form a 12 member committee comprising 5 members from owners, 5 members from workers, Commerce Secretary and Labor Secretary. This committee will scrutinize the inconsistencies of the wages within one month and will take steps to solve the problem. He also expressed doubt that there might be incitement of outsiders in the workers movement. He said, workers are being misguided. We would request the workers for not to get involved in any rumor or provocation. From today if anybody does anti industry activity then that will be curbed strictly. AH