The Bangladesh Government initiated a review of minimum wages for the cotton textile workers of the country even as the Ministry of Labour, on 15th January, took a crucial step by appointing representatives from both owners and workers in the country’s cotton textile mills to the minimum wage board.
The board’s inaugural meeting was convened on Tuesday, aiming to reassess the minimum wages for workers in this sector.
According to media reports, the last revision of minimum wages for cotton textile workers occurred in 2018, establishing a monthly pay of Taka 5,710, with Taka 3,600 designated as the basic pay.
Following the recent review of minimum wages for readymade garment workers in December, employees from textile mills voiced their concerns, advocating for a salary increase.
Workers from various textile mills organised demonstrations in industrial areas, highlighting the need for higher wages in light of escalating inflation and increased living costs.
In response to the workers’ protests, the Ministry of Labour, on 15th January, appointed Md Abdul Malek, the general manager of Pahartali Textile and Hosiery Mills, as the owners’ representative, and Shahjahan Saju, the senior vice-president of Pahartali Textile and Hosiery Mills Workers Union, as the workers’ representative to the wage board.
