The new salary structure for readymade garment workers would be implemented on December 1 this year and finalized by November, according to State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian.
She made the declaration during an emergency meeting with labor union and federation officials at Shromo Bhavan on Sunday evening to discuss the current situation in the industrial zones.
"We called you to learn the backstory of the ongoing strike, where fire has already blazed," Monnujan Sufian said, adding, "Are there any benefits for the workers from vandalism?" We must maintain workplace tranquillity."
"If any factory is vandalized workers will be affected first" , she went on to say.
Md Ehsan-e-Elah, secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Employment said: “The RMG wage board have not taken any decisions after getting two proposals from workers and factory owners representatives, here we have scope to discuss before finalizing it”.
Some facilities have been shut down and vandalized in recent days, adding that the export-oriented garment industry is a lifeline.
However, during the meeting of the ruling party's Presidium, Presidium Member Sahjahan Khan stated that some foreigners are feeding the workers and some have shown that demonstrations are unneeded.
Nobody wants to ruin the garment industry, he said, adding that he hoped an appropriate wage board would be revealed.
During the discussion, labour leader Lima Ferdous stated that the problem had arisen as a result of the owners' negligence. Tk10,400 is an illogical and unethical proposition in the face of such inflationary pressure.
At the fourth meeting of the RMG sector minimum wage board, factory owners recommended Tk10,400 as the minimum salary, while workers' representatives proposed Tk20,393.
However, trade unions have rejected the RMG owners’ proposal.
IndustriAll Bangladesh Council (IBC), which consists of 18 labour federations, demands for the minimum wage to be at least Tk23,000, with a 65% basic wage and an annual 10% increment.
According to Taslima Akhter of Garment Sramik Songhoti, workers value their time as well. They are suffering as a result of the wage announcement delay.
The proposed wages have many flaws, which is why the workers are angry." The story is motivated by the workers' hunger, she added.
Given the current political environment, she believes the new pay should be announced at the November 1 meeting.
According to senior labour leader Montu Ghosh, six months have passed and no solution has been found. "We arrived at a time when protests were on the rise. A standard negotiation could result in a quick solution."
