THE National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) Bangladesh held a symbolic one-hour hunger strike last Friday and are taking continuous actions to establish garment workers rights.
Their demands include the immediate arrest and trial of Tazreen Fashion’s owner and other culprits of factory fire, payment of wages, allowances and compensation to 15,000 workers of Hallmark Group, the placing and passing in Parliament of an amendment to the Labour welfare foundation act, a Labour law establishing a safe workplace in the garment sector and implementation of free trade union rights.
Several hundred garment workers observed a symbolic hunger strike last Friday, January 4, demanding the immediate arrest and trial of Tazreen Fashion’s owner and other culprits for responsibility in killing of 112 workers in last November’s factory fire.
Organised by National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF), the symbolic hunger strike was held in front of National Press Club in Dhaka city from 11am to 12noon.
NGWF President Amirul Haque Amin presided over the programme, which was addressed by General Secretary Ms Safia Parveen, central leader Md Faruk Khan & Ms Sultana Akter.
The speakers demanded publication of the list of workers who were killed in the Tazreen fire, arrangement of proper medical treatment for the injured and payment of compensation on the basis of ‘Loss of earnings’.
The speakers demanded immediate payment of wages, allowances and compensation to 15,000 workers of Hallmark Group, which the owners closed down on October 10, 2012.
The owner of Hallmark Group was arrested for a massive bank scam.
In case of non-compliance with the demand, memorandum will be submitted to concerned ministries, including the Labour Ministry.
Stressing the need for accepting trade union rights as a basic right of the Garment workers, the programme demanded implementation of this demand.
