The National Wage Board formed to formulate a new pay structure for the country’s garment workers held it’s second meeting on Sunday amid a demonstration for tripling the minimum wage.
The meeting was held in the office of the Wage Board at Topkhana in Dhaka, presided over by Board’s chairman Syed Aminul Islam.
Outside the meeting venue, labour leaders were demonstrating for a minimum wage of Tk 16,000 under the banner of Garment Workers’ Rights Movement.
However, the owners and labour representatives refrained themselves from proposing a ‘possible’ wage structure at the meeting causing much frustration to trade union leaders.
They are expected to propose the structure of minimum wage in the third meeting of the Wage Board to be held on July 16.
Among those present in the meeting were Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Siddiqur Rahman, labour representatives Shamsunnahar Bhuiyan and Fazlul Haque Montu, owner representative Kazi Saifuddin, neutral representative Kamal Uddin and Wage Board Secretary Md Shahidullah.
“We have discussed over fixing a new pay structure with the stakeholders at the meeting. It will be fixed through fruitful negotiation. It will take time to present a framework of the minimum wage before the Board,” labour representative Shamsunnahar Bhuiyan told The New Nation after the meeting.
She said they are working to set a ‘practical’ minimum wage for the garment workers considering all aspect of the industry and economy.
“We discussed the prevailing situation in the industry prior to recommending the
scale of wage hike. Review of the minimum wage would be made through meaningful negotiation with the labour representatives,” M Siddiqur Rahman, President of BGMEA told The New Nation. He, however, said that the negotiation is now at primary level. We will come to a decision over the wage hike following further discussions.
Rejecting the labour organization’s demand for Tk16,000 as minimum wage, M Siddiqur Rahman said, “It is impossible to implement if we consider the current situation of the industry. The new pay structure will be fixed bringing balance between the capacity of the industry and also the needs of the workers.”
In January this year, the government formed a fresh wage board for the 3.6 million workers of the country’s garment sector in line with the country’s labour law. The board is expected to come forward with recommendations for a new pay grade for the workers by this month.
BGMEA President Md Siddiqur Rahman and Women’s affairs secretary of Jatiya Sramik League Shamsunnahar Bhuiyan have been nominated as owners and workers representatives of the board with other four permanent members.
“Six months have already elapsed after formation of the new wage board. But there is little progress in this regard due to negligence of the industry owners,” Shamima Nasrin, President of Swadhin Bangla Garment Sramik Federation, told The New Nation yesterday.
She said, the owners are delaying the process for unknown reasons despite the government’s sincerity to hike wages of the workers.
“We want raising of the monthly minimum wage to Tk 16,000 for garment workers, as the current salary structure (Tk 5,300) is not enough to lead a decent life.”
“The government and the industry owners are making unnecessary delay to fix a new pay structure for RMG workers leading us to much frustration,” Mushrefa Mishu, President of Garment Worker Unity Forum, told The New Nation.
She said the new wage board only convened two meetings since its formation, which is unacceptable. “It was supposed to finish the task within six months. How it would propose the new wage structure by this month is a big question when its activities are going at a snail pace,” she questioned.
The last wage board formed in December 2013 fixed minimum wages for garment workers at Tk 5,300. Minimum wages for garment workers were fixed at Tk 3,000 in 2010 while Tk 1,662.50 in 2006 and Tk 940 in 1994.
