A meeting between workers and employers on Tuesday regarding the ongoing labour unrest led to an agreement on the 18 demands of the workers.
As a result, all industrial factories across the country will reopen from Wednesday, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting.
The meeting was held in the Ministry of Labour and Employment's conference room, and a joint press conference followed to announce the agreement.
Earlier, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, adviser for the ministries of youth and sports as well as labour and employment, assured that all demands raised by workers will be accepted, and garment factories will reopen on Wednesday.
He urged workers to return to work on Wednesday to help safeguard the country’s garment industry.
Asif also warned that strict action would be taken against any party — employer or employee — who objects to the acceptance or implementation of the 18 demands.
The workers' demands include:
- Reorganizing the wage board to re-fix the minimum wages for workers.
- Immediate implementation of the minimum wage set by the government in 2023 for all factories.
- Amending labour laws.
- Ensuring payment of a basic salary sum for workers dismissed after five years of service by amending Section 27 of the Labour Act.
- Immediate payment of all outstanding wages.
- Increasing attendance bonuses, tiffin bills, and night bills uniformly across all factories.
- Introducing a provident fund system in all factories.
- Setting an annual salary increment of at least 10%.
- Introducing a rationing system for workers.
- Placing control of the biometric blacklist under government authority instead of BGMEA.
- Withdrawing all harassment and politically motivated cases.
- Legislating measures to stop the dominance of fake businesses.
- Ensuring non-discriminatory recruitment practices in factories.
- Providing compensation and medical care for workers injured or killed in the July protests.
- Taking appropriate measures for the victims of the Rana Plaza and Tazreen Fashions accidents.
- Establishing day care centres in all factories, as mandated by the Labour Act.
- Putting an end to unjust layoffs.
- Extending maternity leave for women workers to 120 days.