The National Garment Workers Federation of Bangladesh organized a protest to call for improved occupational health and safety standards, social security benefits, and higher salaries for garment workers. They presented a nine-point demand to the government and factory owners, calling for safe workplaces, fair compensation, the right to unionize, accountability for past disasters like Rana Plaza, and improved living conditions for workers. The union president said hundreds of incidents over the years have cost thousands of lives, and all unsafe factories must be addressed to prevent further loss of life.

1. Thursday, April 28, 2016
FE Report
Garment workers’ leaders on Thursday called for ensuring occupational health safety, social
security, enhancing living standards with adequate salary and benefits for ready-made
garments (RMG) workers of Bangladesh.
The call was made at a protest programme organized by National Garment Workers Federation
(NGWF) of Bangladesh to the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BGMEA), government and respective foreign buyers held in front of the
city’s national press club to observe “World Professional Health Safety Day 2016”.
President of NGWF Amirul Haq Amin, General Secretary Safia Parvin, Faruqe Khan, Central
leader of the NGWF Nurun Nahar, Arifa Akhter, Kabir Hossain, Nasima Akhter, Rafiqul Islam,
Ranu Begum, Parvin Akhter, Md Kasem, Joint coordinator of Worker Staff Alliance Committee
Kamrul Hasan, Secretary General of Industry All Bangladesh Council Babul Akhter, General
Secretary of Bangladesh Youth Alliance, Sabbah Ali Khan, General Secretary of United
Garment Workers Federation, Kamrul Hasan, among others, were present in the protest
programme.
The NGWF programme suggested a nine-point demand to the government of the country and
urged for workplace safety in the garments sector of the country, adequate salary accordance of
life standard, assurance of right for open trade union.
On the first they demanded safe workplace, standard compensation according to the life style and
assurance of the right of open trade union assurance.
Secondly they demanded the trail of criminals related with Rana Plaza and Tazrin incidents with
remarked punishments.
On the third they demanded the rehabilitation of the suffered workers with adequate treatment.
The fourth demand was the continuation of the moves by the buyers, BGMEA, owners,
government and labor organizations that no such incidents like Rana Plaza or Tazrin in the
future.
Fifth demand was building workers colony in the down town area of the city at a cheap rate.
Sixth demand was allocation of budget for labor nutrition, government treatment facility in the
hospitals, safe maternity center, and day care center for their siblings also residence in the
national budget for the RMG workers.

2. Seventh demand was assurance of 6 months paid maternity leave like other private and public
sectors of the country.
On the eights they claimed importance of labor life with highest priority beside business, profit
and employment.
And lastly on ninth they demanded assurance of abundant air flow with enough light, safe
drinking water, toilets and canteen for their workplace in the country.
Speaking on the occasion Amirul Haq Amin said from the year 1990, through the fire incident of
Saraka Garments started and along with Rana Plaza incident at least hundred incidents took place
until today costing lives of thousands of garments workers in the country.
“Not a single garments factory should remain unsafe of the country so that not a single worker
gives life by this sort of incidents.”
Moreover, after Rana Plaza incident ACCORD, ALLIANCE and National Action Plan efforts
caused the consumers and buyers to bring back the confidence to the Bangladesh RMG sector, he
said.
The increasing volume of export is lubricating the dream of owners and the government but
such incidents in future may turmoil all the achievements and dreams of the sector. If needed
mushroom type unsecured garments have to be winded up for safety and he urged to take
necessary steps by BGMEA along with other industry owners as well as the government, he
added.
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End/Sanwar Hossain.