New pay structure for RMG workers still remains largely unmet
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Most of the readymade garment (RMG) factories have not implemented the new wage structure for their workers, a survey report said.
Nagorik Sanghati, citing its survey report on 'Minimum Wage Implementation Monitoring in Readymade Garments' made the disclosure at a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the city Monday morning, reports UNB.
"Despite the official deadline to implement the new wage structure for workers at all RMG factories within June 30 this year, most of the factories did not implement it," Manowar Mostafa, who led the survey programme, said, quoting the report.
In 2006, the government had announced a minimum wage structure in seven grades for the garment workers in the wake of workers' unrest in the country's garment sector where the officials fixed Tk 1662.50 for the lowest grade (helpers).
"In the survey report it is seen that only 28 per cent of garment factories have implemented the wage structure while 72 per cent of factories have not implemented it," Mostafa added.
He said the big garment factories have been implementing the wage structure but the small ones are not following the wage structure.
Nagorik Sanghati had conducted the quick survey on 1000 garment factories in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chittagong, which were not located in the country's export processing zones (EPZs), in June and July this year.
They also demanded an authentic database for the garment sector, as the government did not have appropriate information about the garment industries.
Nagorik Sanghati President ASM Atiqur Rahman, also a Dhaka University teacher, and its general secretary were present at the press conference.
Nagorik Sanghati, citing its survey report on 'Minimum Wage Implementation Monitoring in Readymade Garments' made the disclosure at a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the city Monday morning, reports UNB.
"Despite the official deadline to implement the new wage structure for workers at all RMG factories within June 30 this year, most of the factories did not implement it," Manowar Mostafa, who led the survey programme, said, quoting the report.
In 2006, the government had announced a minimum wage structure in seven grades for the garment workers in the wake of workers' unrest in the country's garment sector where the officials fixed Tk 1662.50 for the lowest grade (helpers).
"In the survey report it is seen that only 28 per cent of garment factories have implemented the wage structure while 72 per cent of factories have not implemented it," Mostafa added.
He said the big garment factories have been implementing the wage structure but the small ones are not following the wage structure.
Nagorik Sanghati had conducted the quick survey on 1000 garment factories in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chittagong, which were not located in the country's export processing zones (EPZs), in June and July this year.
They also demanded an authentic database for the garment sector, as the government did not have appropriate information about the garment industries.
Nagorik Sanghati President ASM Atiqur Rahman, also a Dhaka University teacher, and its general secretary were present at the press conference.