National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday demanding review of the proposed Tk 8000 minimum monthly wage for entry-level garment workers.They also demanded a 70 per cent hike in basic payment from the proposed Tk 4100, a 51 per cent rise.Their other demands included immediate announcement of the full wage structure for other grades accordingly with 10 per cent annual increment.AskedAmirul Haque Amin, president of NGWF said as per their previous announcement a procession of workers headed towards the Prime Minister’s Office from Press Club in themorning.But Police stopped the procession at High Court area and allowed four representatives of NGWF to submit the memorandum to PMO.The NGWF in a statement said garment factory owners have already realized their demands of reducing source tax to help them implementing the proposed wage hike while they are trying to get other tax waiver and incentive benefit from the government.Terming the minimum wage for entry level garment workers that has been fixed at Tk 8000 on September 13 ‘very insufficient’, the rights group demanded for reviewing the proposed wage.Overtime payment, festival allowance, compensation, service benefit and other benefits are made based on basic payment, the federation explained demanding a 70 per cent hike in basic payment.In the memorandum they also mentioned that there was no announcement about annual increment demanding 10 per cent for the same.
