The board formed to re-fix the minimum wage for the garment workers on Thursday finalised the new minimum wage structure at Tk 5,300.
At its 10th meeting at the Minimum Wages Board’s office, the wage board also decided to award a yearly increment of 5 percent to the newly fixed minimum wages until the formation of another wages board for the readymade garment (RMG) sector.
Earlier on Nov 4, the RMG sector wage board at its 9th meeting came out with its primary recommendation to raise the minimum wage of the workers to Tk 5,300, of which Tk 3,200 was recommended as the basic wage.
At the 10th and the final meeting of the board today, this recommendation of Tk 5,300 as the total minimum wage remained unchanged, although the recommended basic wage of Tk 3,200 was finally cut down by Tk 200 as the pursuance of the garment owners’ representatives in the board.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, the board’s chairman AK Roy said the Tk 5,300 minimum wage for the workers was finalised by the board members unanimously.
“All the members of the board were present at the meeting and discussed the complaints and recommendations on the primary recommendation. The board published the gazette of the primary recommendation on Nov 5 and received about 500 complaints until the Nov-19 deadline,” he said.
The wage board’s neutral member Prof Mohammad Kamal Uddin said the workers will receive Tk 3,000 as basic, Tk 1,200 as house rent, Tk 250 as health allowance, Tk 200 as transport allowance and Tk 650 as food allowance under the new minimum wage structure.
Asked why the board has reduced the basic by Tk 200 compared to its primary recommendation, he said the owners rejected the primary recommendation and the adjustment was made after bargains to satisfy both the sides – the workers and the owners.
Owners’ representative at the board, Arshad Zamal Dipu said Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers Association (BGMEA) will take steps to ensure the quick implementation of the new minimum wage structure.
Workers’ representative Sirajul Islam Rony said the wages for all the grades of workers will be increased in proportion with the 77 percent rise in the minimum wages.
“The gazette of the new structure will be published by the board in one or two days. The decision for the implementation will be taken by the Labour Ministry,” he said.
Rony also included that as per the laws, the new minimum wages will be effective from December, which means the workers will be getting the new wages in January.
Source: UNB Connect
