FORTUNE+ VIDEO SPONSORED CONTENTS ADVERTORIALS FORTUNE AUDIO Fortune Careers New TRADE AFRICA New

Fortune Logo

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.



You can read the full story    here    




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

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.



Related Posts

Editors' Pick

Exclusive Interviews

State Enterprises from Oracles to Apprentices

Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW

Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...

Agenda

Rising Costs, Inflation Threaten Insurance Industry

Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO

Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...

Agenda

BREWING DISCONTENT

Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW

Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...

Fortune News

Electric Vehicle Push Leaves Investors in the Lurch

Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO

Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...

Commentaries

Africa's Minerals Shapes the Future of Global Power

The clean energy transition has fueled the global race for critical minerals, transfo...

Climate Action Requires Debt Relief

Today's global economic turmoil is not only about trade. As G20 finance ministers gat...

Fineline

Leaders of the National . . .

Leaders of the National Election Board are in a charm offensive mood, of a sort. Last week, they organised a rare tour for members of the me...

When the country’s most. . .

When the country's most senior diplomats and envoys return back to their posts after two-week debriefings, they leave behind a point or two...

Editorial

When Pension Funds Nap Inflation Steals the Blanket

May 3 , 2025

Pensioners have learned, rather painfully, the gulf between a figure on a passbook an...

Policymakers Trudge Down a Path of Punitive Taxation

Apr 26 , 2025

Benjamin Franklin famously quipped that “nothing is certain but death and taxes....

Overseas Job Push Evokes Hopes at Home, Hardship Abroad

Apr 20 , 2025

Mufariat Kamil, the minister of Labour & Skills, recently told Parliament that he...

Officials Bank on Student Service to Patch a Fractured Country

Apr 13 , 2025

The federal government will soon require one year of national service from university...

Gallery

Parliament Approves New Cabinet Members

Oct 6 , 2021

Parliament Approves New Cabinet, Incorporates Opposition Leaders Lawmakers have approved today the nominations of 22 ministers, including three opposition leaders. Two MPs have voted against, while 12 abstained...

2020 in Posterity

Jan 5 , 2021

TIGRAY VOTES DESPITE "NULL & VOID" THREAT

Sep 9 , 2020

IN-PICTURE: LAUREATE'S RECEPTION  

Dec 14 , 2019

PM Abiy Ahmed (PhD) at a Gala Dinner Called for the Awarding of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize

May 6 , 2019

Faces, Voices of Addis Abeba

Apr 26 , 2019

Sunday With Eden

Is Struggle the Secret Ingredient in Parenting?

In an age obsessed with convenience and instant gratification, parenting stands at a...

When the Lens Crosses a Line

Over two years ago, on our first wedding anniversary, my husband and I wanted to do something meaningful. We decided to recreate our wedding...

Life Matters

Less Stuff, More Life

There is a little thrill that comes with buying something new, the excitement of having the means, walking out with a bag in hand. That mome...

The House That Deceit Built

A strange paradox continues to surface: what might happen if lying were to vanish entirely from human life? If all communication were filter...