The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is likely to revise the minimum wage proposed earlier for garment workers, offering a 50% raise.
On September 17, the apparel makers’ apex body proposed an increase of Tk600 or 20% from the existing minimum wage of Tk3000 per month.Most workers rejected the offer, and many took to the streets demanding a higher minimum wage.
The revised minimum wage for readymadegarment (RMG) workers may be set at Tk4500,which would mean an increase of Tk1500, or a 50% hike,said a BGMEA director, who preferred not to be named.
Leaders of RMG workers, however, have proposed Tk8114 as the minimum wage.
The BGMEA director said the revised minimum wage would be finalised after negotiationswith all the parties concerned.
Meanwhile, members of the wage board formed to reviewthe minimum wage for RMG workers is scheduled to meet today to share experiences of their recent visit to some southeast Asian nations. The revised proposal is likely to be placed before the board today.
“I hope that the owners would come out of their earlier proposal considering the overall situation, and place the revised proposal today,” said Sirajul Islam Roney, president of Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employee League.
Labour unrest in the RMG sector will continue if the owners do not reconsider their proposal of 20% wage hike for the workers, Roney added.
“In the proposal, I have put emphasis on the wages of workers who are directly involved in production,” he added.
Roney, also the workers’ representative at the wage board, said around 60%to 70% workers are directly involved in production, and they should get priority.
Recently, members of the wage board visited Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia to see the working environment and learn about the minimum wages in their RMG sectors.
In Vietnam, the minimum wage is $120 (about Tk9,000), while in Thailand, it is $80-120 (Tk6,000-9,000) with 60% house rent, said Roney, adding that the living standard in those countries ismuch better than in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh formed the first wage board in 1994 to set minimum wage for RMG workers. Then, the minimum monthly pay was set at Tk940. In 2006, the second wage board fixed the minimum wage at Tk1662.50, while the third wage board in 2010 raised the minimum pay to Tk3000.