Govt wants RMG owners to implement pay hike soon
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Shakhawat Hossain
The government asked the country's garment factory owners Wednesday to submit implementation plans on the proposed pay hike for workers and employees by the next five days.
The instruction has been given at a commerce ministry meeting as the government wants to see the implementation of pay hike soon to avoid any untoward incidents in the garment industry before the upcoming Eid festival.
"We have given instruction to submit plans by the next four to five days," said commerce secretary Feroz Ahmed after the meeting.
The pay hike plan and its implementation are very important to avoid any untoward incident in the country's US$ 10.0 billion industry before the Eid, he added.
The move by the commerce ministry on pay hike for more than 2.5 million garment workers came after the Chief Adviser's Office suggested the ministry last week to resolve the problems of the sector quickly, said a commerce ministry official.
At least 151 garment factories were vandalised between January and August as tens and thousands of workers protested over low wages and death rumours of their colleagues, said a study by the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
One third of the factories were attacked during protests over low wages while the others on rumour of workers' death, said the study.
BGMEA leader Salam Murshedi said he does not know exactly about the nature of instruction given by the government on pay hike.
He, however said, the instruction should be honoured by the BGMEA.
Amirul Haq Amin, general secretary of National Garments Workers Federation, said they welcomed the government latest initiative saying it will solve some of the pay hike demands.
The country's garment workers' federations have long been demanding 50 per cent pay hike following price hike of food items in the local market since early this year
"Over the last two years, rice prices have doubled, house rent shot up while cost of living rose by more than 70-80 per cent. Yet the workers have hardly been compensated," he said.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) has already announced 20 per cent pay hike for the knitwear workers and employees.
But the BGMEA is still undecided about that amount of pay hike.
Mr Amin said he does not know how much pay hike will be planned by BGMEA after the government instruction.
"If it is 20 per cent and is executed before the Eid it will reduce lot of sufferings of the garment workers," he said.
Following a movement by the country's garment workers' federations the government fixed the minimum wages for a garment worker at Tk 1662.60 in October 2006.
The commerce secretary said almost 99 per cent of the country's garment factories complied with the minimum wages, but still 11 per cent of them are irregular in payment.
The government asked the country's garment factory owners Wednesday to submit implementation plans on the proposed pay hike for workers and employees by the next five days.
The instruction has been given at a commerce ministry meeting as the government wants to see the implementation of pay hike soon to avoid any untoward incidents in the garment industry before the upcoming Eid festival.
"We have given instruction to submit plans by the next four to five days," said commerce secretary Feroz Ahmed after the meeting.
The pay hike plan and its implementation are very important to avoid any untoward incident in the country's US$ 10.0 billion industry before the Eid, he added.
The move by the commerce ministry on pay hike for more than 2.5 million garment workers came after the Chief Adviser's Office suggested the ministry last week to resolve the problems of the sector quickly, said a commerce ministry official.
At least 151 garment factories were vandalised between January and August as tens and thousands of workers protested over low wages and death rumours of their colleagues, said a study by the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
One third of the factories were attacked during protests over low wages while the others on rumour of workers' death, said the study.
BGMEA leader Salam Murshedi said he does not know exactly about the nature of instruction given by the government on pay hike.
He, however said, the instruction should be honoured by the BGMEA.
Amirul Haq Amin, general secretary of National Garments Workers Federation, said they welcomed the government latest initiative saying it will solve some of the pay hike demands.
The country's garment workers' federations have long been demanding 50 per cent pay hike following price hike of food items in the local market since early this year
"Over the last two years, rice prices have doubled, house rent shot up while cost of living rose by more than 70-80 per cent. Yet the workers have hardly been compensated," he said.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) has already announced 20 per cent pay hike for the knitwear workers and employees.
But the BGMEA is still undecided about that amount of pay hike.
Mr Amin said he does not know how much pay hike will be planned by BGMEA after the government instruction.
"If it is 20 per cent and is executed before the Eid it will reduce lot of sufferings of the garment workers," he said.
Following a movement by the country's garment workers' federations the government fixed the minimum wages for a garment worker at Tk 1662.60 in October 2006.
The commerce secretary said almost 99 per cent of the country's garment factories complied with the minimum wages, but still 11 per cent of them are irregular in payment.