The National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) and six other federations in the Bangladesh Garment Workers Unity Council (BGWUC) have called a strike of the whole garment sector in the country on 1 July 2001. The strike is for the realisation of their six demands submitted to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on 24 march 2001. They are: 1. A new wage structure for the garment workers on the basis of a basic minimum wage of tk 1800 (unskilled). 2. Ensure the health and safety of garment workers. 3. Necessary steps for the development and expansion of the garment industry and its markets. 4. Implementation of trade union rights in the garment sector. Trade union rights for the EPZ workers. 5. Separate industrial zones for the garments industry. Settlements, schools and hospitals in the zones. 6. Implementation of the Memorandum of Agreement signed between the MGMEA and the BGWUC in 1997 and 2000 (appointment letter, identity card, service book, weekly holiday, maternity leave, etc.) The BGWUC and the NGWF have also adopted a programme of action to prepare for the strike.
On 13 June, General Secretary of the NGWF wrote as follows: 'Please bear in mind this strike is not in a particular factory, it is nation-wide. Altogether there are 3,200 garment factories in Bangladesh with a total of 1.6 million workers. So it is very hard and difficult and a big challenge for us. Our finances are very weak because at present the minimum wage in this sector is only Tk 800 ($14.03) a month, so most of our members cannot afford to pay dues. 'We already published 50,000 posters in mid May and 100,000 leaflets in the first week of June. We have to publish two further posters, one edition of 50,000 from the Unity Council and one edition of 30,000 from the NGWF. Will your organistion, your members or your friends be able to provide us with any financial support? Please let us know urgently. Yours in solidarity, Amirul Haque Amin, General Secretary, National Garment Workers' Federation, Chair, Bangladesh Garment Workers' Unity Council
Messages of solidarity and support to GPO Box 864 Dhaka, Bangladesh Tel: 88 019 340268 Fax: 88 02 9562562 email unity at bdmail.net