Govt revises RMG workers' wages

The government has revised both basic and gross pays in six out of seven grades for the garment workers aimed at removing disparities in the new wage structure.
The revised wage structure was announced on Sunday at a meeting presided over by state minister for labour Monnujan Sufian at her secretariat office in Dhaka.
The revision came against the backdrop of ongoing labour unrest in different industrial zones, demanding pay rise.
Commerce minister Tipu Munshi, labour and commerce secretaries Afroza Khan and Md Mofizul Islam, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Md Siddiqur Rahman and its former presidents Atiqul Islam, Abdus Salam Murshedy, AK Azad, labour leaders Montu Ghosh, Nazma Akter, Amirul Haque Amin, Touhidur Rahman, Sirajul Islam Rony, Fazlul Hoque Montu, Shamsunnahar Bhuiyan and Lima Ferdous, among others, were present in the meeting.
In the revised structure, basic pay of grade six has been proposed at Tk 4,380, up by Tk 10 from the recently-announced wage structure.
Workers in grade six will receive Tk 8,420 as gross wage that includes 50 per cent of the basic as house rent, Tk 600 as medical allowance, Tk 350 transport and Tk 900 as food allowance.
In 2013, the basic pay and gross wage of the same grade were fixed at Tk 3,270 and Tk 5,678 respectively.
Basic pays under grades four and five have been proposed at Tk 4,683 and Tk 4,998 respectively. The proposal recommended a hike by Tk 13 and Tk 68 respectively from the new structure announced through a gazette notification in November last.
The gross wages of the two grades will stand at Tk 8,875 and Tk 9,347 respectively, up by Tk 2,833 and Tk 2,927 respectively from the gross wages set in 2013.
Basic pay for workers in grade three has been hiked by Tk 170 Tk 5,330 when their gross will be Tk 9,845.
The gross wage of grade three workers has been set at Tk 9,590 in the recent wage structure, which was Tk 6,805 in 2013.
Workers and labour leaders said basic pay in grade three has seen a decline by Tk 40 if the 5.0 per cent annual increment is taken into consideration.
The government has proposed Tk 9,044 and Tk 10,938 as basic pays in grades two and one from Tk 8,520 and Tk 10,440 set in November last year.
According to the revised pay, the gross wages will be Tk 15,416 and Tk 18,257 in grades two and one respectively.
In 2013, the gross wages of the two grades were Tk 10,900 and Tk 13,000 respectively.
Both the basic pay and gross wages in grade seven remained unchanged at Tk 4,100 and Tk 8,000 fixed in the latest wage structure.
The last wage structure became effective from December.
Labour and apparel sector leaders and participants of the meeting signed the proposal.
The commerce minister said though labour leaders demanded adjustment in the grades three, four and five, both basic pays and gross wages in all grades except the entry-level workers have been increased in line with the Prime Minister's instruction.
Responding to a question, he said that a gazette notification regarding the revised wage structure would be issued within a week.
The workers will get their wages under the revised structure in February next with the arrears, the commerce minister added.
Amirul Haque Amin, on behalf of the labour leaders present in the meeting, endorsed the latest wage hike proposals of the government.
He, however, requested the government not to bring the "innocent" agitating workers under any legal actions for vandalism.
He also demanded compensation for the worker who died on January 08 during the unrest.
In response to his demand, the commerce minister said the dead worker's family will receive financial support from the government's fund and he personally will give Tk 0.1 million.
Both the ministers, apparel makers and labour leaders called on agitating workers to peacefully return to their respective workplaces from today (Monday).
The FBCCI president, however, sought strict legal action against those who were engaged in vandalism, saying no criminal activities would be accepted.
Earlier, BGMEA at a press conference threatened to shut down garment factories for an indefinite period if agitating workers do not join their respective workforce from today (Monday).
President of the BGMEA Siddiqur Rahman issued the warning at the conference held at its headquarters.
"If you (workers) don't work at factories from tomorrow (Monday), you will get no wages. No work no pay," he said.
"And factories will be shut down in line with the labour law provision of 13 (1) for an indefinite period," he added.

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