Stakeholders are scheduled to convene a meeting on 7th November to potentially settle the minimum wage for garment factory workers, according to Monnujan Sufian, the State Minister for Labour and Employment.
Reports maintained this adding the Minister has expressed her disagreement with the owners’ proposal of a monthly salary of Taka 10,400, deeming it illogical even as she reportedly underlined that the Government is actively engaged in negotiations to establish a salary that would be agreeable to all parties while adding the Labor Ministry will soon submit a proposed figure to the wage board.
This statement came after a recent meeting with union leaders at the Srama Bhaban in the capital Dhaka.
In a previous development, the owners had rejected the workers’ proposal of a monthly salary of Taka 20,393.
Monnujan further disclosed that the workers had demanded ration cards for essential daily needs, and the Government was considering this matter even as she mentioned that she and the Prime Minister had discussed the possibility of introducing ration cards for garment factory workers.
Meanwhile, Amirul Haque Amin, president of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC), a global trade union, proposed that the basic salary should constitute 65 per cent of the gross salary, as opposed to the current 51 per cent that starts at Taka 8,000 per month.
He also recommended increasing the annual increment from 5 per cent to 10 per cent of the basic salary and reducing the number of job grades for garment workers from seven to five.
Towhidur Rahman, the president of the Bangladesh Apparel Workers Federation, on his part, expressed concern that delays in determining the minimum wage could worsen the situation in the sector.
He demanded compensation for deceased workers and the withdrawal of police cases against protesting workers.
