In the wake of recurrent labour unrest, the Ministry of Commerce asked the garment-industry owners
to settle the wage-enhancement issue through discussion with workers' leaders within 4-5 days.
“We've asked the BGMEA and BKMEA to sit together with labour leaders to sort out the problems… This is absolutely an issue of employers
and employees--government should not be party to it,” said Commerce Secretary Firoj Ahmed after a meeting with the leaders of the two owner-exporters' associations on garment sector's compliance issue at
his ministry.
The country's garment workers have been demanding a 20-percent wage hike since the government had announced a dearness allowance (DA) for the public-sector employees.
In many places, the garment workers staged agitation in support of the demand and also vented their resentment through unruly way, like damaging factories and transport near hand.
Considering their workers' demand as justified, knitwear sector's factory owners' organisation, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and
Exporters Association (BKMEA), has already announced the raise in their workers' wages.
But Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) still remained undecided on the issue.
The commerce secretary, who presided over the meeting, said BGMEA and BKMEA were given a guideline to resolve the problem through negotiation.