The government has initiated a move to incorporate some posts in the new wage structure for readymade garment (RMG) workers aiming to ensure proper implementation of the wage hike, sources said.
They said some posts were not incorporated in the new wage structure announced in November last and a fresh crisis emerged in fixing the wage hike for those workers.
Following the complaints, the Labour Ministry has asked the Wage Board to hold a meeting with the stakeholders and take necessary steps in this regard.
"Last week we told the Wage Board to take measures to include the posts that were somehow missed during that time," Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar said.
After the Wage Board's recommendation, the ministry will take action, he added.
The Minimum Wage Board will sit tomorrow (Wednesday) to discuss the issue and incorporate the missing posts in the wage structure, the Wage Board sources confirmed.
A large number of posts of garment workers, especially in printing, embroidery and washing units in the three to six grades were not included in the new wage structure though we repeatedly pressed for it, Sirajul Islam Rony, president of the Bangladesh Jatiya Garments Sramik Karmachari League, said.
Mr Rony, who is also a representative of the RMG workers on the Board, said, in our proposal, there were 106 posts in four grades while the final gazette incorporated only 54 posts.
"Now there is a dilemma regarding those workers as to what their grades would be and how much money they would get according to the new wage structure," he said. To resolve the problem, the Wage Board members will again sit tomorrow.
The Minimum Wage Board on November 24 last fixed Tk 5300 as minimum wage for an entry level garment worker with a five per cent annual increment.
The wages were also re-fixed for other grades accordingly and it would be given effect from December 01 last.
As the workers are scheduled to get their new wages from this month, some fresh problems surfaced following the missing posts.
Earlier on January 08, the Labour Ministry in a clarification asked the manufacturers not to degrade any workers from their existing ones and pay their wages according to the new wage structure.
It also clarified that a worker would get Tk 650 as food allowance.
