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It had been a common May Day scene at Shabagh. On a makeshift stage at the gate of Shishu Park, folk singer Fakir Alamgir, would be seen rendering "Nam tar chhilo John Henry", a remake of Hemanga Biswas' classic in memory of the 19th century American worker. In sweltering summer heat, he would sing his popular numbers, all dedicated to working people on the day that commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.

Fakir Alamgir is not alive now and such programmes voicing workers' rights seem to be limited this year due to the severe heatwaves baking the country.

Low wage earners toiling in the sun are the first and the worst victims of the hellish summer hit. They are farm workers harvesting Boro paddy in the sun, or those pulling rickshaws, working in motor garages, transports, construction sites or dockyards.

Photo: Rajib Dhar

They are factory labourers working long hours and earning one of the lowest in the region.

Their wage growth remains much lower than the inflation for nearly two years in a row. They struggle to have both ends meet as prices of almost everything they need every day spiralled beyond their reach.

Unbearable summer heat made days even hasher for informal sector workers, whose productivity and earning declined. A rickshaw-puller of the city's Keraniganj area, Nazmul Islam's income fell to Tk600-700 from around Tk1,000 a day as he gets few rides now because of torrid heat. "Prices have increased, but I earn less. We have no one but Allah," he said.

Photo: Rajib Dhar

Badsha Mia, 75, has to peddle a rickshaw in scorching heat to feed his family and buy medicine for his ageing mother. But his ill health does not allow to make more rides, bringing less than a half of what he earned on a normal day.

A man of his age should have been under the government's universal pension scheme, which reached its 1-lakh clients' milestone in April. But Badsha from the capital's Badda is hardly aware of any such thing.

Zakir Hossain's work is less toiling as he rides a battery-run rickshaw. But his earnings fell as very few people dare to come out in the heatwave.

The same goes for CNG-run autorickshaw driver Abdur Razzaq, whose earning dropped to a half to Tk1,000 a day. He details his family budget – Tk1,500 as house rent, Tk15,000 as tuition fees for three madrasa-going children a month on top of meals and money sent to his family. "Now you see how we are surviving."

Earning for bus workers depends on the number of trips and passengers. Buses are having fewer passengers due to heat, says Leon, a helper of Asim Paribahan, a city service on Gabtoli-Demra route. Yesterday he earned Tk300, a third of his usual income. "Heatwaves make our life worse," said the boy in his teens, as his bus was waiting for passengers.

Formal sector workers have some comfort at workplaces, some having central air-conditioner or at least fans. This is why Beauty (not her real name), a female worker of Urmi Garment, feels better in the factory than in the sublet room at Nakhalpara in the city. Under the new wage structure, she earns Tk20,000 a month with overtime. Free meals and medical services provided by the factory give her some relief from roaring inflation.

Photo: Rajib Dhar

However, Bangladesh's labour standards remain in question requiring the government authorities to routinely update on the improvement to officials of the USA and Europe – the country's main export markets.

The day before the May Day, Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday announced that the Labour Act would be amended, relaxing trade union rules which will allow forming workers' associations with consent from 15% of a factory workforce, lower than 20% required now. This will give more voice to workers to bargain for their rights, rights groups believe.

He said the amendment follows recommendations from the International Labour Organisation which had informed the government of some countries' concerns about Bangladesh's labour rights situation. The amendments, once signed, would place Bangladesh at par with the world's best practice in labour issues, he claimed.

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

Yet, persisting heatwave seems to be limiting this year's May Day public programmes to voice for workers' rights.

Garment Sramik Samhati Chairperson Taslima Akhter said they will have rallies in industrial zones and in front of Jatiya Press Club, but wrap those up early considering the sweltering heat.

Joly Talukder of another rights group, Bangladesh Garment Workers Trade Union Centre, said they planned rallies in the morning and processions in the evening in industrial areas like Savar, Uttara, Ashulia, Gazipur.