RMG minimum wage: Owners propose Tk12,500
The labour ministry will hold a press briefing following the meeting of the Minimum Wage Board.
Readymade garments factory owners have proposed a minimum wage of Tk12,480 for RMG workers during a meeting of the Minimum Wage Board on Tuesday (7 November).
Siddiqur Rahman, the owners' representative on the wage board and former president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.
Meanwhile, meeting sources said workers' representatives have demanded Tk500 more.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
However, the minimum wage has not been finalised yet.
The labour ministry will hold a press briefing following the meeting of the Minimum Wage Board.
The Minimum Wage Board is holding a meeting with stakeholders to finalise its proposal for a new wage structure for ready-made garment workers.
Previously, the factory owners' representative had proposed a monthly salary of Tk10,400. On the other hand, the workers' proposal was Tk20,393, which the owners' representatives rejected.
Several brand representatives, who requested anonymity, said the wage board may fix the minimum salary of entry-level workers at Tk14,000-16,000, which would be affordable for factory owners.
However, factory owners said most subcontracting factories would be out of business if the minimum wage was set at that amount. Even if it was set at around Tk12,000, some factories may still fail to pay such an amount.
Following the rejection, RMG workers took to the streets.
On 30 October, at least two people were killed and about 40 were injured in clashes between the police and garment workers in several industrial areas in Ashulia, Savar, and Gazipur.
Meanwhile, three garment factories have filed lawsuits against more than 1,500 unnamed individuals, mostly workers, for vandalising their factories and causing financial losses during the protests.
