Leaders may propose 230pc wage hike for RMG workers

FE Team | Published: July 23, 2013 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Badrul Ahsan and Shah Alam Nur Leaders of the country's garment workers are likely to propose up to 230 per cent wage hike in different categories of jobs to the newly formed wage board considering the present cost of living, industry insiders said. The government on June 07, 2013 formed a new wage board comprising six members for enhancement of wages for the ready-made garment (RMG) workers of the country. In response to a request of the wage board after its first meeting, 34 association leaders jointly prepared the proposal and submitted it to Mr Sirajul Islam Rony who is representing them in the wage board. It is expected that the proposal will be submitted to the board chairman on 18th of next month. According to the proposal, an apprentice worker (helper) under grade-7 would get at least Tk 8,000. The break-up is-basic pay Tk 5,250, 40 per cent house rent and Tk 650 (fixed) medical allowance. At present an apprentice worker gets minimum of Tk 3,000 based on Tk 2,000 as basic, 40 per cent house rent and Tk 200 (fixed) as medical allowance. In the proposal, the association leaders proposed a total of Tk 9,750 as gross salary against the existing Tk 3,322 for grade-6, Tk 10,650 against the present Tk 3,553 for grade-5, Tk 12,550 against Tk 3,861 for grade-4, Tk 13,950 against Tk 4,218 for grade-3, Tk 15,350 against Tk 7,200 for grade-2 and Tk 22,350 against Tk 9,300 for grade-1. Besides, a new comer (apprentice) would get at least Tk 6,000 (consolidated) as monthly salary, the proposal said. Justifying the proposed wage hike, workers' leaders said that calculating the increased living cost in the country they have prepared the proposal. "Living cost of a worker increased over 300 per cent compared to that of last two years but in most cases, both husband and wife of a family work in a garment factory which came into our consideration while proposing the wage hike up to 230 per cent," secretary general of Bangladesh Garment and Industry Workers Unity Council (BGIWUC), Md Towhidur Rahman told the FE Monday. The BGIWUC secretary general said that majority of garment workers used to live in slums (bosti), but in the last two years most of the slums in and around the city and other industrial hub of the country had been demolished by the government which raised the house rent of workers manifold. "Besides, fooding, medical, transportations and educational expenses of workers' children have increased abnormally within the period," he added. President of National Garment Workers' Federation, Amirul Huq Amin said that the factory owners are leading a luxurious life with the cost of immense sufferings of their workers which should not continue any more. "The factory owners have to ensure a decent life for their workers if they want to do business in Bangladesh," he added. According to a recent study of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), a private researcher, living cost of a worker increased by 2.5 times from the implementation of the last wage board on November 1, 2010 to till date. "Our recent study found that living cost of a worker increased significantly by around 250 per cent in just last three years," Assistant Executive Director of BILS, Sayed Sultan Uddin Ahmed told the FE. However, garment industry leaders said the industry has been struggling to survive due to financial crisis in the USA and in European Union along with recent tragic incidents. "We would consider increased living cost of the workers but every one has to keep in mind that in such a situation any kind of abnormal wage hike would be suicidal for the industry," president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Atiqul Islam told the FE Monday. Headed by district judge AK Roy, the government on June 07, 2013 formed a new wage board comprising six members. Of them, four are permanent members and the rest two are the sector's representatives -- one from the owners' side and the other from the labour groups. The board has a legal binding to submit its report within six months by fixing the minimum wages for the RMG workers, and then the government will implement it.