The government has formed a new wage board to review garment workers’ minimum monthly wages from the existing Tk8,000 fixed in 2018.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Labour and Employment issued a circular announcing the appointment of representatives from RMG industry owners and workers for the board.
According to the circular, former president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association Md Siddiqur Rahman and Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employees League President Sirajul Islam Rony have been appointed owners’ and workers’ representatives respectively for the wage board.
The representatives would work with a four-member permanent board headed by senior district judge Liaquat Ali Molla.
Other permanent board members are Bangladesh Employers’ Federation representative Moksud Belal Siddiqui, workers’ representative Jatiya Sramik League leader Sultan Ahmed and independent member Md Kamal Uddin, a professor of Dhaka University.
The last wage board was formed in early 2018 and in December of that year, the minimum wage of Tk8,000 was fixed for garment workers with Tk4,100 as basic pay, Tk2,050 as house rent, Tk600 as medical allowance, Tk350 as transport allowance and Tk900 as food allowance.
RMG workers and labour rights groups have staged demonstrations in the capital and other parts of the country since the middle of last year demanding a hike in wages considering the rising commodity prices and living costs.
Earlier this year, the Bangladesh Garments Workers Unity Council, a platform of seven associations, also demanded a new wage board with minimum monthly wages of Tk22,000.
At present, there are 42 sectors in the country where the minimum wages are set by the government. However, 50 other sectors, such as the domestic work and transport sectors, are not covered by the national wage structures.
The labour law, amended twice in consultation with development partners and local stakeholders, requires the forming of a new wage board every five years to settle wage structures for every industry. The law also allows forming of a wage board every three years in special situations.
