With the support of BILS-DGB-BW, Sromik Shanghoti Forum-SSF organised a discussion meeting to urge government organs and employers to implement declared wage structures in 42 sectors and ensure trade union rights and workplace safety has been held on September 03, 2022 at the Chattogram Press Club.

Awareness raising to ensure workplace safety and Government-declared wage- structures in the 42 sectors are the main objectives of the meeting.

A concept note on the topic of “Implement Government-declared Wage-structures in 42 Sectors, Ensure Workplace-Safety & TU Rights” was read out by BILS senior officer Rizwanur Rahman Khan. Speakers in the discussion opined that the Bangladesh government has revised wage structures in 3 sectors namely Shrimp, Printing Press & Saw-Mill recently. In total, wage structures have been declared in 42 sectors. But workers and TU activists know little about these because the campaign is less visible in this regard. Employers are not cooperative and willing to pay the wages as per grades. Moreover, workplace safety and trade union rights are questionable in our country. We have to fight a lot to ensure our declared wages, workplace safety and TU rights-the speakers said. TU leadership also has a role to play in this regard-they said.

BILS-LRSC Coordination Committee Chairman A m Nazimuddin presided over the meeting while BILS-LRSC Information and Documentation Officer Pahari Bhattacharjee acted as a moderator. The meeting was addressed among others by JSL Central Committee Vice-President Md. Safar Ali, Former President of Chattogram Union of Journalists-CUJ Nazimuddin Shaymol, Md. Ali Shahin of YPSA, Sharif Chowhan of BNPS, Md. Shariful Islam of IGU, Sohel-Ud-Dowza of BBF, Advocate Tasnim Sultana of BLAST, Md. Alauddin of Awaz Foundation, Kanta Mollick of SANGSAPTOK, Kazi Sheikh Nurulla Bahar & Shahenewaz Chowdhury of BJSD, Kazi Altaf Hossain of BMSF, K M Shahidullah of BFTUC, Md. Babul of TUC.