New pay structure for EPZ workers approved
The government approved a new pay structure for the workers of Export Processing Zones, increasing the minimum salaries by 45.83 percent to $70 (Tk 5,600) from $48 (Tk 3,350) a month with effect from December 1.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the pay structure for 382,485 workers of the country's eight EPZs on December 23, which was increased for the last time in 2010.
The workers will be divided into five grades under the new structure.
Currently, there are 425 enterprises inside the EPZs and 73 are under construction, said Nazma Binte Alamgir, general manager for public relations at the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority, a government-run organisation under the Prime Minister's Office.
A different pay structure is maintained for EPZ workers, as the enterprises inside the specialised zones follow international standard, and the salaries are fixed following the US dollar value.
Earlier, the government finalised the minimum wage for garment workers at Tk 5,300, from Tk 3,000 a month on November 21 with effect from December. The wage board finalised the salaries in seven grades for garment workers.
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