by SYED FATTAHUL ALIM
Last May Day, as on every other such occasion in the past, workers worldwide reaffirmed their determination to keep united and fight for their unrealised rights wherever those are still unmet or denied. In Bangladesh, too, the workers expressed their solidarity with all other workers of the world and reiterated their demands for minimum wages.
Unlike in the developed economies, many of the workers’ rights could not be realised in Bangladesh, if only because the economy has not yet been able to come out of the trap of underdevelopment. As a result, our workers get less in terms of pay and perks compared to their counterparts in the more advanced economies.
When we talk about the unity and rights of the workers, it is implied that they are adults and as such are able-bodied men and women. Clearly, there is no mention of adolescents and minor boys and girls in all the slogans chanted and demands voiced on May Day.
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