Bangladesh garment workers offered Tk 6,360 minimum wage, want Tk 16,000
Staff Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 2018-07-16 22:09:11.0 BdST Updated: 2018-07-17 00:18:29.0 BdST
BGMEA President Siddiqur Rahman made the offer at the third meeting of the wage board formed to set the minimum salary of RMG workers on Monday.
Jatiya Sramik League Women Affairs Secretary Shamsunnahar Bhuiyan proposed raising the minimum wage to Tk 12,020, but the demonstrating workers’ organisations rejected the offer.
When the meeting was underway at the board’s office in Dhaka Segunbagicha, members of some workers’ organisations were demonstrating outside the venue.
The existing minimum monthly wage of Tk 5,300 or almost $65 came into effect from Jan 1, 2014. The government formed a panel by including a representative each from the trade body and a labour organisation to its existing four-strong permanent wage board on Jan 14.
That panel headed by a retired district judge has a member who is not involved with any industry.
When the government wants to readjust the pay structure of any industry, it adds one representative from the workers and owners from each of the corresponding industry.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Siddiqur and Jatiya Sramik League leader Shamsunnahar are the two new members of the panel that is reviewing the pay structure of the clothing industry.
“We are proposing Tk 6,360 minimum wage for the workers. The wages of others grades will be based on the workers’ wage once it is final,” Siddiqur said at the meeting.
The proposed minimum wage was fixed considering ‘interests of both sides and reality’, the president of the sectors’ apex trade body said.
They also considered inflation, the necessity of the workers and the owners’ capability, Siddiqur said.
Workers’ representative Shamsunnahar proposed Tk 12,020 minimum wage with Tk 7,050 as basic salary for the workers.
Her proposed amount included Tk 2,820 house rent, Tk 1,000 medical allowance, Tk 500 transport fare, and Tk 650 for tiffin.
Her proposal was based on the fact that she is involved with a political party, the ruling Awami League, as well as the workers’ organisation, she said.
She admitted that minimum wage she proposed was inadequate for clothing workers to lead a good life.
“But we fear that many factories will announce lay-off, many workers will go jobless if we want more,” she argued.
The workers’ organisations demanding Tk 16,000 minimum wage say the amount includes Tk 10,000 basic.
It would be possible to take a final decision on the RMG workers’ minimum wage within next three months, Wage Board Chairman Syed Aminul Islam said.
They will seek three more months’ time as the deadline of six months to file their report is ending next month, he added.
The members of the board will visit some factories before announcing the new pay scale.
‘Conspiracy’
The workers demonstrating outside the venue snubbed Shamsunnahar’s proposal and threatened a countrywide movement to make the authorities meet their demand.
Shamsunnahar’s proposal was part of a “conspiracy of the workers’ representative chosen by the government”, Garments Sramik Sanghati President Taslima Akter said.
“We want to know why she is proposing Tk 12,000 now after she had earlier talked about a minimum wage of Tk 16,000. The reality is they do not speak for the workers. They are favouring the government and following the owners’ instructions,” Taslima alleged.
“We are rejecting this proposal by the workers representatives who follow the owners’ instructions,” Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre General Secretary Joly Talukder said.
“We will launch a movement like that of 2010 if the demand for Tk 16,000 minimum wage is not met,” she added.
The leaders of the workers’ organisations also threatened protest programmes in industrial areas.
Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre President Montu Ghosh, among others, also spoke at the demonstration.
Staff Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 2018-07-16 22:09:11.0 BdST Updated: 2018-07-17 00:18:29.0 BdST
BGMEA President Siddiqur Rahman made the offer at the third meeting of the wage board formed to set the minimum salary of RMG workers on Monday.
Jatiya Sramik League Women Affairs Secretary Shamsunnahar Bhuiyan proposed raising the minimum wage to Tk 12,020, but the demonstrating workers’ organisations rejected the offer.
When the meeting was underway at the board’s office in Dhaka Segunbagicha, members of some workers’ organisations were demonstrating outside the venue.
The existing minimum monthly wage of Tk 5,300 or almost $65 came into effect from Jan 1, 2014. The government formed a panel by including a representative each from the trade body and a labour organisation to its existing four-strong permanent wage board on Jan 14.
That panel headed by a retired district judge has a member who is not involved with any industry.
When the government wants to readjust the pay structure of any industry, it adds one representative from the workers and owners from each of the corresponding industry.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Siddiqur and Jatiya Sramik League leader Shamsunnahar are the two new members of the panel that is reviewing the pay structure of the clothing industry.
“We are proposing Tk 6,360 minimum wage for the workers. The wages of others grades will be based on the workers’ wage once it is final,” Siddiqur said at the meeting.
The proposed minimum wage was fixed considering ‘interests of both sides and reality’, the president of the sectors’ apex trade body said.
They also considered inflation, the necessity of the workers and the owners’ capability, Siddiqur said.
Workers’ representative Shamsunnahar proposed Tk 12,020 minimum wage with Tk 7,050 as basic salary for the workers.
Her proposed amount included Tk 2,820 house rent, Tk 1,000 medical allowance, Tk 500 transport fare, and Tk 650 for tiffin.
Her proposal was based on the fact that she is involved with a political party, the ruling Awami League, as well as the workers’ organisation, she said.
She admitted that minimum wage she proposed was inadequate for clothing workers to lead a good life.
“But we fear that many factories will announce lay-off, many workers will go jobless if we want more,” she argued.
The workers’ organisations demanding Tk 16,000 minimum wage say the amount includes Tk 10,000 basic.
It would be possible to take a final decision on the RMG workers’ minimum wage within next three months, Wage Board Chairman Syed Aminul Islam said.
They will seek three more months’ time as the deadline of six months to file their report is ending next month, he added.
The members of the board will visit some factories before announcing the new pay scale.
‘Conspiracy’
The workers demonstrating outside the venue snubbed Shamsunnahar’s proposal and threatened a countrywide movement to make the authorities meet their demand.
Shamsunnahar’s proposal was part of a “conspiracy of the workers’ representative chosen by the government”, Garments Sramik Sanghati President Taslima Akter said.
“We want to know why she is proposing Tk 12,000 now after she had earlier talked about a minimum wage of Tk 16,000. The reality is they do not speak for the workers. They are favouring the government and following the owners’ instructions,” Taslima alleged.
“We are rejecting this proposal by the workers representatives who follow the owners’ instructions,” Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre General Secretary Joly Talukder said.
“We will launch a movement like that of 2010 if the demand for Tk 16,000 minimum wage is not met,” she added.
The leaders of the workers’ organisations also threatened protest programmes in industrial areas.
Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre President Montu Ghosh, among others, also spoke at the demonstration.
