Workers propose Tk32,000 minimum wage for entry-level garment workers

The workers' representative on the newly formed wage board has proposed a minimum monthly wage of 32,000 taka for entry-level garment workers and 48,000 taka for workers in Grade 1.

The proposal was submitted at the second meeting of the wage board, held on Monday (November 9) at its office in Segunbagicha, Dhaka.

“Considering market prices, medical expenses and other factors, the amount should be even higher,” workers' representative Babul Akter told journalists after the meeting.

Outlining the proposed wage structure, he said the workers' side had initially proposed 48,000 taka for Grade 1, 43,000 taka for Grade 2, 38,000 taka for Grade 3 and 32,000 taka for Grade 4.

Asked whether the proposed figures were realistic and feasible for the industry, Babul said the demands could have been higher given prevailing market prices.

“However, considering the industry's operational capacity and the prevailing realities, we have kept the proposed amounts at a minimum level,” he said.

Meanwhile, the employers' side failed to submit its proposal at the meeting, citing challenges in managing the ongoing labour situation at factory premises.

Explaining the delay, employers' representative ABM Shamsuddin said factory owners had been preoccupied with addressing labour unrest and could not finalise their proposal in time.

He said the employers' side would submit its proposal within the next four working days.

Wage Board Chairman Syed Azad Subhani said the employers had requested four additional working days to submit their proposal, a request accepted by all members of the board.

“However, we will not allow any further extension beyond this period,” he said.

He added that the board planned to visit some factory areas during the week to assess the situation and gather workers' views before its third meeting.

The visits would help the board scrutinise the proposed wage evaluations and better understand workers' expectations before deciding on a revised wage structure, he said.

The meeting began shortly after noon.

Among those attending in person were ABM Shamsuddin, director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), representing employers; Babul Akter, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF), representing workers; Anwar Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal and a permanent workers' representative on the board; and Asif Ayub, joint secretary-general of the Bangladesh Employers' Federation and a permanent employers' representative.