Leaders of the Shipbreaking Workers’ Trade Union Forum have demanded a minimum monthly wage of Tk 36,000 for workers in the shipbreaking industry.
They also expressed frustration over the failure to implement the minimum wage order issued in 2018 and the non-enforcement of the mandated eight-hour workday.
During a press conference at the Chittagong Press Club on Saturday, Forum convener Tapan Dutta accused shipyard owners of forcing workers to work 12-hour shifts instead of the mandated eight hours.
He also criticised claims of implementing the Tk 16,000 minimum wage as a violation of labor laws and deceptive towards workers.
Bangladesh remains the world leader in the shipbreaking industry, with nearly 60 percent of the scrap iron used in country’s construction sector coming from shipbreaking.
Around 8,000 to 10,000 workers are directly employed in the industry, with approximately 100,000 people indirectly dependent on it. The sector contributes about 0.5 percent to the national GDP.
Despite the high-risk nature of the industry, workers continue to face hazardous working conditions without fair wages or improved living standards, Dutta said.
Earlier this year, labor leaders urged the wage board to set the minimum monthly wage for grade-4 workers in the shipbreaking industry at Tk 36,000. The board noted that any wage below this amount would be unreasonable, given the circumstances.
