BTMA urges workers to be patient as minimum wage for textiles soon

The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) said the government has formed a minimum wage board for the country's textile sector, as the association requested the workers to have patience following reports of factory vandalisms.
In a press release on Friday, the association expressed concern over the "deteriorating" law and order situation at their member factories in Dhaka and its adjoining industrial areas.
BTMA said the situation has taken a "disciplinary downturn", following the recent minimum wage structure announcement for the readymade garment sector.
Noting it is "imperative" to set a minimum wage structure for the textile sector, the association said it has already discussed the matter with the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Minimum Wage Board.
"Already the government has formed a minimum wage board for the cotton textile sector, and we expect the wages will be announced soon," read the press release.
The association said it has already been assured by the authorities that the minimum wage structure for the cotton textile sector will be announced within the next two weeks.
"The BTMA is in complete agreement with the government," it added.
BTMA assured the workers that the wage structure for the sector will be implemented as soon as it is declared. The dues will be paid by the respective mills from the date the wage structure is announced.
"Workers at BTMA mills are being requested to be patient in this regard," it concluded.
Following months of agitations and violent clashes with law enforcers, the government announced a Tk 12,500 minimum wage for readymade garment workers in November last year.
However, labour organisations have been sticking to their Tk 23,000 as the minimum monthly pay for the RMG sector.

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