Politicians, academics, garment labour leaders and professionals on Friday at a national conference in Dhaka called on the interim government headed by Professor Muhammad Yunus to resolve crises in the garment sector delicately taking steps.
They also called on the interim government to increase wages of the garment workers so that they could run their families.
The Bangladesh Garment Sramik Samhati held the opening session of the third national conference in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh, where its president Taslima Akhter chaired.
Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki called on the interim government to ensure free trade unionism and also implement rights of the workers.
After the end of fascist Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 rule on August 5, workers deserve a better life and their rights must be implemented, Zonayed Saki said.
Labour leader Sultan Uddin Ahmed said that workers had right to movements in demand of implementation of their rights including paying their arrears and increasing their wages.
Garment labour leader Taslima Akhter said that their organisation would continue its movements until implementation of rights of the garment workers.
Lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua said that the owners of the garment factories did not ensure workplace safety of the workers and as a result many workers were killed in factory collapses.
Academics Mahin Sultan, Navin Murshid, Sima Das Simu, women leader Aparagita Chanda and student leader Swikat Arif and others also spoke at the opening session.
An 18-point demand was raised at the conference.
The demands included implementation of recommendations of the wage board, introduction of the rationing system for the garment workers, stopping making blacklists, withdrawal of cases and giving compensation to the affected workers in the recent students and people movement.
The opening session was followed by a council session where a new central committee of the organisation will be formed, a press release said.
A good number of leaders and activists from Dhaka and across the country attended the national conference.