The Wage Board (WB) for fishing trawler industries has finalised its report, recommending Tk 5,260 as minimum monthly wage for entry-level workers, officials said.
The proposed minimum wage is around 124 per cent up from the existing level, they mentioned.
However, the WB submitted its report to the ministry of labour and employment (MoLE) Sunday although representatives from both the workers and owners did not sign the proposals, according to informed sources.
A sailor at the entry level under grade seven is set to get Tk 5,260 as minimum wage which was Tk 2,350 fixed in 2007.
"Living cost and standards of the workers, production cost and productivity, price of the products, inflation, nature of the work and its risk factors and the socio-economic situation of the country have been taken into consideration in finalising the minimum wage," the final proposal said.
According to it, the basic has been finalised at Tk 3,400 which was Tk 1,500. It also fixed Tk 1,360 as house rent (40 per cent of the basic wage which was 35 per cent) and medical allowances to Tk 500 against Tk 325.
Earlier, on August 04, the government directed the WB for re-fixing minimum wages for the fishing trawler industries.
Later, the six-member WB headed by its Chairman Shahidullah Bakaul visited the Chittagong-based industries. The WB members held 17 meetings since August but owners' and workers' representatives could not reach a consensus.
On October 16 last, the WB finalised its recommendation and sent it to the MoLE Sunday.
"We initially demanded Tk 8,000 as basic and finally agreed to Tk 3,800 considering the entire scenario which is not reflected in the final proposal," Khorshed Alam, the workers' representative to the Board, told the FE.
"That is why, I did not sign the proposal," he added.
Opposing the WB's recommendation, owners' representative to the Board Moshiur Rahman said it is difficult for the sector to bear a 124 per cent hike in minimum wage.
According to him, the minimum wage should be Tk 4,800 including a monthly food allowance of Tk 650 as given to the garment workers.
Moreover, the fishing days declined to 180 days a year against 220 days due to climate change, he said adding that there are many trawlers that go for fishing illegally.
However, the WB did not consider the owners' proposal of inclusion of food allowance in the main wage structure.
Terming the proposal 'illogical', Mr Alam said due to the nature of work, workers have to sail for 15 days to even a month.
"Food is provided by the owners. It is impossible to manage food cost only by the proposed Tk 650 a month," he added.
"Moreover, the job is a risky one," he said adding that the workers did not get any weekly holiday, no overtime and even no festival holidays.
He, however, reiterated his demand for Tk 3,800 basic payment.
According to sources, some 10,000 to 12,000 workers go fishing in some 270 to 275 trawlers.
munni_fe@yahoo.com
