Mosahid Ahmed, Moulvibazar: A workers’ meeting of Moulvibazar District Hotel Workers’ Union was held to demand the implementation of the government-announced minimum wage in the hotel sector, implementation of labor laws including 8-hour working day, issuance of appointment letters, identity cards, and introduction of low-cost rations. On the evening of July 24 (Friday), the workers’ meeting held at the organization’s office in Chomuhana, chaired by District Hotel Workers’ Union President Taresh Chandra Das was addressed by District Hotel Workers’ Union General Secretary Md. Shahin Mia, Vice-Presidents Shahin Ahmed and Jamal Mia, Publicity Secretary Ruhul Ami Rohit, hotel workers’ leaders Saju Ahmed, Sirajul Islam Siraj, Alamgir Mia, Ruhul Amin, Mizan Mia, etc. The speakers at the workers’ meeting said that due to the unbridled rise in the prices of daily necessities, hotel and restaurant workers, like other working people in the country, are living a miserable life. Workers have to spend their lives in poverty and misery without food for their families. Hotel owners are constantly increasing the prices of their food products but are paying their workers nominal wages. Although it is mandatory to provide employment certificates and identity cards to workers according to Section 5 of the Bangladesh Labor Act-2006, employers are dismissing workers without providing them. Although the Labor Act provides for double wages for working hours exceeding the recognized 8 hours, employers are forcing workers to work 12/13 hours in most organizations without paying overtime wages. In addition, employers are depriving workers of other rights and benefits under the Labor Act. Workers in different regions and organizations of the country staged protests, demonstrations and movements and struggles demanding the implementation of the Labor Act, including the provision of employment certificates and identity cards. In the wake of the workers’ movement, various agreements were concluded with the owners and owners’ associations. Although a tripartite agreement was signed between the Hotel Owners Association and the Moulvibazar District Hotel Workers Union through the mediation of the Divisional Labor Department in Srimangal on July 2, 2015, it was not implemented. On May 5 last year, the final gazette of the minimum wage announced by the government in the hotel and restaurant sector was announced. However, even though more than a year has passed, the gazette announced has not been implemented in most of the hotel and restaurant establishments. If wages are not paid as per the gazette announced by the government, according to Section 289 of the Labor Act, the concerned owner is required to pay all the outstanding dues of the workers as per the gazette, along with imprisonment for up to 1 year and a fine of Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000. But there is a mysterious silence from the officials of the concerned department regarding the implementation of the government law. Even after the current government came to power, as part of the government’s 180-day priority program, the Labor Minister announced a deadline of June 30, 2026 to implement the minimum wage for workers in the hotel sector. But despite this, the workers in the hotel sector are being deprived of the minimum wage announced by the government and the facilities provided by the labor law. Due to which there is frustration and anger among the workers. The meeting called on the relevant authorities of the government and the owners to take effective measures so that the anger of the workers does not turn into protests and create labor dissatisfaction in the hotel sector. The meeting demanded reducing the prices of daily necessities, introducing rationing for workers, withdrawing subsidies from gas, electricity and fuel as per the IMF directive and stopping the phased increase in prices, implementing the minimum wage announced by the government and implementing the labor law including 8-hour working day, appointment letter, identity card.
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