RMG owners agree on higher minimum wage

The owners of ready-made garment (RMG) factories have agreed to pay higher minimum wages to garment workers than Tk10,400, which they proposed earlier.

"We have agreed to increase the minimum wage [of workers] and we will present a written proposal to the board at our next meeting," Siddiqur Rahman, the owners' representative on the wage board, said today.

"I can say that the increase in the wage will be significant compared to the previously proposed wage," he told reporters after a meeting of the wage board at the capital's Topkhana Road.

"Despite our proposal, the government has the final say in this. Whatever we propose, the government can increase or decrease the amount if it wants," he said.

Referring to the RMG workers' unrest over the minimum wage hike, Siddiqur Rahman said, "We know who is involved in this unrest. The agitation is on purpose, and there are outsiders involved, but some workers are also participating in it."

Commenting on the issue, Sirajul Islam Rony, the workers' representative on the wage board, said, "We will also meet with various labour unions to discuss this issue at length."

He said, "The livelihoods of nearly 5 crore people are at stake here. That is why we are trying to negotiate a fair minimum wage for the next five years, given the current market and economic conditions. The owners have expressed their willingness to raise the wage, and I am optimistic that we will reach an agreement in the next meeting."

Urging workers to join work peacefully, Rony said, "Interrupting work now will hinder our strategy of getting our demands met."

At the last wage board meeting on 22 October, Rony proposed a minimum wage of Tk20,393. The owners countered with an offer of Tk10,400, which led to dissatisfaction and unrest among workers.

Thousands of garment workers have been protesting at major RMG industrial zones since 23 October, demanding Tk23,000 as the monthly minimum wage.

Currently, the RMG workers' minimum wage is Tk8,000.

Asked if the owners' proposal would meet the workers' demands, Sirajul Islam Rony said, "I am optimistic."

He also said he does not support workers protesting, taking to the streets, or vandalising property when a discussion on the minimum wage is ongoing.

Liaquat Ali Mollah, chairman of the minimum wage board, said, "The minimum wage will be finalised in November and will go into effect in December. Workers will start receiving their new salaries and allowances in January."

Urging workers not to be provoked, he said, "You get your livelihood from here. So, I request you to remain calm and focused."

The garment sector's ongoing unrest intensified on Wednesday, with more workers joining the protests. This has increased the risk of supply chain disruptions, industry insiders say.

Most RMG factories in Dhaka's Ashulia remained closed on Wednesday, some indefinitely, as unrest continued.

At a meeting at the BGMEA office in Uttara in the capital on Wednesday, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan said, "Owners will implement the minimum wage announced by the government. Whenever it is announced, we will implement the new wages from December."

He said, "If any employer fails to pay the government-announced wage, then the workers can go on strike."