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Industrial park workers struggle for wages so low that daily survival becomes an act of endurance. Faced with stagnant wages in factories that lure foreign brands with cheap labour, some workers turn to sex work to bridge the income gap. An absence of legal protection seals their plight; no national minimum wage safeguards them against relentless demand for their labour.


Unsafe working conditions and scarce bargaining power reinforce a system workers see as rigged in favour of investors’ demands. Union drives and collective bargaining attempts are often met with resistance, leaving employees to faint on the factory floor or endure crowded accommodations. Critics argue that the imperative drives the government’s laissez-faire approach to wage negotiations to remain competitive in global markets. High inflation, running at 16.1pc in October 2024, exacerbates the misery. Rising costs for staples like bread, cereals, and vegetables obliterate modest pay rises.


Beyond the factory gates, other fixed-wage earners suffer. The promised pay raise for civil servants remains elusive, and rising housing costs quickly devour any incremental gains. Calls for a minimum wage law and a functioning Wage Board have stalled within the corridors of government. Labour leaders, union officials, and human rights advocates contend that without these safeguards, low-paid workforce remains trapped, undermined by stagnant incomes and rising living costs. As necessities slip beyond their grasp, workers who once dared to hope for a better life now struggle to endure.



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PUBLISHED ON Dec 15,2024 [ VOL 25 , NO 1285]

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