Bangladesh panel to revise minimum wage for garment workers

The Bangladesh labour and employment ministry recently formed a panel by including representatives from trade bodies and labour organisations in its existing four-member permanent wage board. 

The panel will present its recommendations in six months on minimum monthly wage revision, after which the government will finalise the new wage structure.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Siddiqur Rahman and Jatiya Sramik League’s women affairs secretary Shamsunnahar are the two new members of the panel.

The existing minimum monthly wage of taka 5,300 or $65 came into effect on January 1, 2014. Rreadymade garments (RMG) workers’ organisations in the country are demanding taka 16,000 as the minimum monthly wage, citing the rise in cost of living and inflation.

“We hope we’ll be able to give a new pay structure for the RMG sector within five years from the last one,” Bangladesh media reports quoted state minister Mujibul Haque as saying.

The permanent wage board 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.

There are around 4,500 export-oriented RMG units with 44 lakh workers, mostly located in Dhaka, Ashulia, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Chittagong. These workers awaited the formation of a new wage board and look forward to the declaration of a healthy minimum wage with which they can support themselves, their families and lead a better life.