The government has set Tk 5,710 as gross monthly minimum pay for the cotton textile sector workers increasing it from Tk 3,302 which was set in 2011.Earlier, the minimum wage board formed for the sector in January this year finalised its proposal recommending Tk 5,710 as minimum wage and it had been sent to the labour ministry on March 2018.The labour ministry has recently announced the wage structure which was proposed by the minimum wage board.According to the labour ministry gazette notification the government incorporated 10 grades in the wage structure for the cotton textile sector workers and minimum monthly wage for the workers in grade-10 would be Tk 5,710. The amount includes basic pay Tk 3,600 for upazila town areas, 35 per cent of the basic pay (Tk 1,260) as house rent, Tk 550 as medical allowance and Tk 300 as travel allowance.Grade 10 workers in the district towns and divisional cities would receive house rents more than 40 per cent and 70 per cent respectively of the basic pay.The government has set the monthly minimum wage for the workers in grade-9 at Tk 6,061, for grade-8 Tk 6,250, for grade-7 Tk 6,520, for grade-6 Tk 6,763, for grade-5 Tk 7,033, for grade-4 Tk 7,303, for grade-3 Tk 7,924, for grade-2 Tk 8,275 and for grade-1 Tk 8,977.The government has also incorporated 6 grades for the employees of the sector and set the same amount (Tk 5,710) as minimum pay for the employee of the grade-6.The amount includes basic pay Tk 3,600 for upazila town areas, 35 per cent of the basic pay (Tk 1,260) as house rent, Tk 550 as medical allowance and Tk 300 as travel allowance.The wages have been set for the employee in grade-5 at Tk 6,169, for grade – 4 Tk 6,871, for grade-3 Tk 8,275, for grade-2 Tk 9,679, and for grade-1 Tk 11,785.The ministry announced Tk 4,100 as the monthly pay for both the apprentice workers and employee with the six-month period of apprenticeship.As per the government announcement, the wages would be applicable for both the export-oriented and local textile mills across the country and both the workers and employers would be entitled for 5 per cent wage hike every year.According to the sector people, there are some 7,000 textile factories under the sector across the country and 50 lakh people are working in the units.
