The Minimum Wage Board Chairman Liaquat Ali Mollah said that the minimum wage of garment workers will be decided by the second week of November. He said that the increased salary will be effective from next December. Liaquat said this at the end of the fifth meeting of the Employer-Labor and Minimum Wage Board on Wednesday (1 November).
Liaquat Ali Mollah said, “Our most important thing was to bring salary from 7 grades to 5. Both the owners and workers have agreed in this issue.
The board chairman said, “Another meeting will be held in the second week of this month regarding the minimum wage. The minimum wage will be determined in that meeting. In that day’s meeting, BGMEA has been asked to submit a proposal in written form. The proposal given earlier by BGMEA is very different from the proposal given by the workers. Hopefully, it will come down.”
Siddiqur Rahman, the former president of BGMEA, said in the meeting, “There is always some difference between the proposals of the workers and the owners. We made this proposal in the last meeting keeping in mind the state of the global economy and the various contexts of industrial entrepreneurs. Considering all things, wages should be increased. We will raise wages and present it to the board in written form at the next meeting.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Labor and Employment Monnujan Sufian told the Parliament that the relevant ministries of the government are trying to re-fix the wages of the workers in the garment industry sector on time.
Monnujan Sufian said this in a written reply to a question of Awami League Member of Parliament Nuruddin Chowdhury Nayan in the session of Jatiya Sangsad on Wednesday (November 1).
State Minister also said that the current labor-friendly government is committed to establishing the rights of the working people of the country. Garment workers are among those who directly contribute to peace, production and development in industrial establishments. The current government has taken various steps to protect the interests and welfare of the working people working in the garment sector of the country.
For the last few days, garment workers have been protesting in different parts of the country demanding a minimum wage of Tk 23,000. Among them, they have also carried out programs like blocking the highway in Gazipur and Savar areas. The workers clashed with the police several times in this program.
The home minister called the garment industry owners to a meeting at the secretariat on same day (1 November) afternoon to deal with the current unstable situation of the country’s main export-oriented industry. Salman F Rahman, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Private Industry and Investment; Atiqul Islam, Mayor, Dhaka North; BGMEA-BKMEA President and representatives of various organizations related to the sector were present there.
Salman F. Rahman said, keeping the interest of the workers in front, their salary will be increased. However, strict action will be taken against those who have destabilized the industry. Calling upon the workers to join the work, he said, “I will call upon our worker brothers and sisters to join the work.” He assured that nothing will happen against the interests of the workers.
