By AKM Moinuddin
Dhaka, Jul 27 (UNB) – The government will give its final decision on new wage structure for the readymade garment (RMG) workers on Thursday fixing minimum wage at Tk 3000.
“Minimum wage for RMG workers won’t be less than Tk 3000. We’ll formally announce the new wage structure at 5pm on July 29 (Thursday),” Labour and Employment Minister Engr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told newsmen at his Secretariat office in the evening.
He said they received a draft of the news wage structure from the wage board which will be sent to BG Press on Thursday as tomorrow (Wednesday) is a public holiday. “I’ll announce it formally at about 5pm from my office.”
The Labour Minister, however, said the government is not compelled to accept all the recommendations of the wage board.
The wage board formed to fix a new wage structure for the workers of the RMG sector earlier finalized the draft fixing minimum wage at Tk 3000 and placed it before the government today (Tuesday).
All representatives of the wage board except of the owners signed the draft, workers representative Begum Shamsun Nahar told UNB.
She said the wage board has recommended a seven-step wage structure fixing minimum wage at Tk 3000. “However, minimum wage during probation period has been fixed at Tk 2500, which is presently Tk 1200.”
While talking to journalists, FBCCI president AK Azad said everything would be decided through discussion. “We need to talk to the members of BGMEA and BKMEA.”
BKMEA president AKM Selim Osman said they have obtained a copy of the draft and would take decision soon. “Give us time to discuss, give us one day.”
Industry insiders said BGMEA and BKMEA would hold emergency general meeting (EGM) to decide on their next course of action as the wage board has recommended Tk 3000 as minimum wage.
An owner of a garment manufacturing unit told UNB that they would seek 3-4 months to implement the new minimum wage for the workers.
On the other hand, Bangladesh Garments Textile Workers Federation and Samajtantrik Sramik Front have rejected the minimum wage of Tk 3000 as unjust.
The new wage structure for the garment workers was scheduled to be announced on July 28 as both Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Labour Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain had informed parliament.
The government on January 13 this year formed the wage board headed by District and Sessions Judge Iktedar Ahmed to recommend an acceptable minimum wage in the backdrop of recent unrest at different RMG units in the country.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday night directed the representatives of BGMEA to fix the minimum wage at Tk 3000. She also gave directives for provision of additional facilities including transport allowances, attendance bonus and washing allowances.
She had also said the wages the owners of the ready-made garment units pay to their workers are “not only insufficient but also inhuman.”
So far, the minimum wages for the RMG workers have been fixed thrice by the government - first Tk 600, secondly Tk 975 and last at Tk 1,662.
END/UNB/AKM
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