About 38 per cent of the surveyed apparel manufacturing factories in Dhaka are yet to implement the new minimum wages for the garment workers, according to BGMEA.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) conducted a survey on 594 apparel manufacturing units in Dhaka and its surrounding areas which revealed that 62 per cent of the surveyed factories had paid wages in line with the newly announced wage structure.
The implementation of the new minimum wage in the factories located in the port city-Chittagong-is very low, according to the BGMEA and the estimated rate is only 5.0 per cent.
On the other hand, labour leaders claimed that about 50 per cent of the factories located in Dhaka are yet to implement the recently announced new wage structure for garment workers while Industrial Police sources said the rate is about 20 per cent in different industrial zones.
Labour leaders alleged that the implementation rate is very poor in the factories located in the metropolitan city especially at Mirpur.
"The monitoring teams visited 594 garment factories and 62 per cent of those have paid the workers according to the new structure while the rest is not paying the enhanced amount," BGMEA vice president Md Shahidullah Azim the FE.
Some 2200 factories are operating in the capital and its surrounding areas, according to him.
The scenario is different in Chittagong as an estimated 5.0 per cent factories have paid the enhanced wages while the number of running factories is 654 in the port city, he added.
Explaining the reasons, he blamed the recent political impasse that has seriously disrupted the supply chain resulting loss of confidence among the global buyers.
Many of the buyers have cancelled their orders or reduced the volume of orders, he said adding as a result manufacturers have almost stopped fresh recruitment while many of them are adopting alternative measures to stay in business.
"Moreover, buyers are offering a reduction in price rate in line with the enhanced wages," he said adding workers also understand the situation.
On the other hand, labour leaders in a meeting with the state minister for labour held in January 15, claimed that about 50 per cent of the factories in Dhaka has paid according to the new wage structure.
Bangladesh Jatiya Garments Sramik Karmachari League president Sirajul Islam Rony said maximum 50 per cent of the factories have paid the new wage in Dhaka while the rate is high in different industrial zones like Ashulia.
But the situation inside the city especially at Mirpur is very bad, he alleged adding there are about 500 factories at Mirpur while the number of new wage paying factories is about 50.
Another labour leader Nazma Akter alleged that owners are downgrading the workers grades from their experienced category while many of the factories are yet to decide the grades and are paying according to the previous structure.
Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, another labour leader, said owners are taking many advantages from the government but they are reluctant to ensure the proper implementation of the new wage.
The Industrial Police Director General in separate meetings with the labour leaders and the factory owners requested both the groups to resolve the issues over the grades to sustain the law and order and also to continue smooth production.
He requested the labour leaders to give some time to the owners while urged the owners to implement the enhanced wage structure by next month saying the workers also understand the situation and are yet to come to the streets.
When contacted, labour secretary Mikail Shipar admitted that they are also informed about the situation in Chittagong.
"We are also concerned about the factories in Chittagong as most of the factories are yet to implement the new wages," he said adding the government is trying to ensure the enhanced wages within the shortest possible time.
In November 24, the government formed Wage Board fixed Tk 5300, up from Tk 3000, as minimum wage effective from December 1, 2013.
The US$21 billion garment sector is the country's largest foreign currency earner employing about 4.0 million workers, mostly women.
During the first half of the current fiscal year of 2013-14, the apparel export earnings grew by 20 per cent despite many odds like Tazreen fire and Rana Plaza building collapse that killed more than 1200 workers.
