A sub-committee has made an eight-point recommendation including fixation of piece-rate, in consultation with workers, for helping resolve the prevailing disputes related to payments, grades and other benefits in the country's sweater factories, sources have said.
Its recommendations include making payments to workers on piece-rate basis during peak season and on grade basis during off-season, providing pay-slips along with payments and taking decision on grades in accordance with the workers' experience, they added.
The sub-committee recently placed its recommendations to a government-formed core body for incorporating those in the proposed guideline on the possible payment structures and grade systems for sweater factory workers, people close to the committee said.
On the other hand, owners have differed with one particular recommendation saying if grades are decided according to the workers' skill, there would be no 'production bonus'.
Earlier in December last, the government formed a 12-member committee, headed by a labour ministry joint secretary, to look into the issues and formulate a guideline for the sweater factories.
Later in January 2014, the committee formed another sub-committee to find out the problems and their probable solutions, and make their recommendations in this regard.
The sub-committee was given one month's time, when it submitted its recommendations last week after visiting some sweater factories and having talks with both the owners and workers.
"We submitted our eight-point recommendations to the core committee last week," Mashiur Rahman, convener of the sub-committee, said.
The sweater factory owners' representatives recommended to consider the sweater factory job as a 'seasonal work', saying the owners have work orders for six months, and in the remaining months they have less orders or even no work orders.
The owners recommended to follow the strategy of "No work, no pay", Mr Rahman said adding the sub-committee did not accept their proposal.
The core committee will visit four such factories, have discussion with both the workers and owners, and then, finally, decide on the next course of action, he added.
Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees League (BNGWEL) president Sirajul Islam Rony said, first the mid-level management would discuss with the workers the piece rates according to design, and then discuss it with the owners. The authorities will later fix the rate.
During the off-season period, the payments would be made according to grade, but during the peak season, payments must be made according to piece rates, Mr Rony, also a member of the sub-committee, said referring to their recommendations.
When there is no work, workers will be paid the basic salary according to grades, he said adding sweater factories have reduced volume of work for four months, while there is hardly any work orders for two to three months.
The recommendations also suggested that pay-slips be provided during monthly wage payments, he said.
The recommendations also proposed that the grades be decided according to the workers' skill and experience.
Differing with the recommendations, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) vice president Md Hatem said they have no objection to deciding grades according to the workers' skill and experience, but no 'production bonus' would be given in that case.
Sweater factory workers usually get 'production bonuses', he said adding a sixth grade worker was not skilled enough like a third grade one.
Traditionally, the sweater factory workers get their payment on piece-rate basis, and they do not get other service benefits like overtime allowances, festival bonuses and leave benefits, according to labour leaders. The sector insiders noted there were about 700 to 800 sweater factories in the country.
