By AKM Moinuddin
Dhaka, Jul 26 (UNB) - The government has reportedly finished its
difficult job of reaching a consensus over fixing minimum wage
structure for the garment workers and will deliver its verdict on
July 29 to promote owner-labour relationships, avoiding further
labour unrest in the highest export earning sector.
However, the new wage structure for the garment workers had been
scheduled to be announced on July 28 after both Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina and Labour Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said so in
parliament.
Owners’ representative and BGMEA acting president Shafiul Islam
Mohiuddin told UNB that they would sit together for the last time
tomorrow (Tuesday) to reach a concrete decision on the new wage
structure.
“We have some composite proposals, so, it’s premature to make any
comments on it. You’ll know details about the structure tomorrow,
hopefully,” he said.
He said the last meeting scheduled to be held today (Monday) was
postponed as one of the members of the Wage Board - Habibur Rahman
Siraj got injured in an accident. “The meeting will be held at 2pm
tomorrow (Tuesday).”
Workers representative Begum Shamsun Nahar told UNB that the minimum
wage for the workers will not be less than Tk 3,000 anyway.
The government reportedly found it difficult to reach the consensus
as the workers were demanding a threefold increase in the monthly
minimum salary - from the existing Taka 1,662 to Taka 5,000 while the
factory owners were ready to offer upto only Tk 2,500 per month.
The government has time till July 28 to settle the issue after
getting the draft of a new wage structure from the wage board, which
is likely to be handed over to the government by tomorrow (Tuesday).
Labour, Employment and Expatriates Welfare Minister Khandaker
Mosharraf Hossain on Monday reiterated that the government would
formally announce new wage structure for the garment workers on July
29 aimed at protecting workers’ interest.
“Workers’ demands are being given priority in the new wage
structure,” Mosharraf told the journalists emerging from an
inter-ministerial meeting at the secretariat today.
He, however, said the new wage announcement is not enough to resolve
all problems in the RMG sector and assured government initiatives to
solve all problems of the workers gradually.
Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, however, kept his comment limited on
the issue, uttering few words - “Let’s wait and see. Something better
will happen.”
The tri-ministry meeting (Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce
and Ministry of Labour) was held at the office of the Finance
Ministry.
On the other hand, a section of garments workers cordoned the office
of the Minimum Wage Board in the city around noon on Monday and gave
a memorandum to the chairman of the Wage Board demanding Tk 5000 as
minimum wage for them.
The demonstrating garment workers declared that they would announce
an action programme immediately if the minimum wage is fixed below Tk
5,000.
The government formed a wage board on January 13 headed by District
and Sessions Judge Iktedar Ahmed for 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.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on July 21 said in the
parliament that the government would announce the minimum wage
structure for garment workers by July 28.
She also said the wages the owners of the ready-made garment units
pay their workers are not only “insufficient” but also “inhumane.”
So far, the government has fixed the minimum wage three times, first
at Tk 600, second at Tk 975 and for the last time at Tk 1,662.
END/UNB/AKM/
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