Garment workers’ minimum pay stays Tk 12,500

The wage board yesterday finalised the minimum wage of Tk 12,500 despite protests but brought down the number of grades from five to four, in a development that elicited mixed reactions from Bangladesh's 40 million garment workers.

The union leaders remained defiant about their demand for a Tk 23,000 minimum wage.

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"This amount is not acceptable considering the current inflation rate and the higher house rent," said Nazma Akter, president of Sammilito Garment Sramik Federation.

She went on to demand Tk 23,000 as the minimum salary per month.

Md. Towhidur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Apparel Workers Federation, echoed the same.

"The wage hike is better than nothing but it is still not acceptable to us," he said, adding that the government-formed minimum wage board disregarded the recommendations of many local and international organisations.

The wage board received 174 letters from factory owners requesting a minimum wage of Tk 10,400 a month, while 25 letters came from union leaders of different federations and non-governmental organisations recommending a minimum wage in the range of Tk 23,000 and Tk 25,000.

Sirajul Islam Rony, the workers' representative at the minimum wage board, conceded to the amount proposed by the factory owners on November 7 as the garment sector is passing through a bad time.

Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said he has already directed the owners to take preparations for implementing the new wage structure from December 1.

Many small and medium units will have to face a lot of difficulties in implementing the new wage as many of them are facing a lower inflow of work orders, said Mohammad Hatem, executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

The union leaders, however, welcomed the fewer number of grades, which saw the salaries for each of the grades increase slightly from the amounts announced on November 7.

The difference in salary between grades has been minimised, said Liaquat Ali Mollah, chairman of the minimum wage board.

The monthly salary for grade one garment workers has been fixed at Tk 15,035, up from Tk 14,750. Workers in grade two will take home a salary of Tk 14,273, up from Tk 14,150.

The salary for grade three workers is fixed at Tk 13,550, up from Tk 13,025.

"Reducing the number of grades is a positive step as the workers will be able to get a bit more salary and be able to get promotion quickly," Rahman said.