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Tk 5,300 Wage for Workers

RMG owners finally agree Ashulia factories open today

Refayet Ullah Mirdha
Facing labour unrest for months, garment makes yesterday agreed to pay a minimum monthly salary of Tk5,300 to garment workers, up fromTk3,000, as recommended by the wage board.
"Yes, we have agreed to pay Tk5,300 per month to the workers. I am hopeful that the unrest will cease now," said Reaz-Bin-Mahmood, vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
"We had an important meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Gono Bhaban at night. In the meeting, we agreed to pay salaries to workers as per the recommendations of the wage board," he told The Daily Star over the phone.
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Prior to visiting the prime minister, the BGMEA leaders in a meeting among themselves discussed mainly the wage issue.
Former BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy said the labour and employment ministry will announce the minimum wage today at the secretariat.
Currently, 3.5 million garment workers are split into seven pay grades in more than 5,000 factories, which produce both knitwear and woven garment items.
The BGMEA leaders in a meeting this week at the labour and employment minis-try demanded withdrawal of 0.80 percent tax at source, a separate exchange rate for the US dollar and easy loan for exportable goods.
It could not be confirmed immediately whether the government had agreed to these demands for implementing the salary as recommended by the wage board.
The RMG sector, responsible for the country's 80 percent forex earning, has been passing through a turbulent period due to political deadlock, labour unrest, uneven domestic and international competition, Rana Plaza collapse, Tazreen Fashions fire and sliding of Indian Rupees against the US dollar.
Earlier on June 13, the government had formed the six-member minimum wage board, headed by Judge AK Roy.
After holding several rounds of meetings, the board on November 4 finalised its recommendation of the minimum salary for workers at Tk5,300.
But the garment owners rejected the recommendation and even threatened to shut down their factories.
The wage for garment workers was revised in November 2010 at Tk3,000 from Tkl662.50, which was fixed in 2006.
In 1994, it was Tk930 per month, up from Tk627in 1985.
UNREST IN GAZIPUR
At least 50 people, including five cops, were injured in clashes between garment workers and police at Konabari of Gazipur yesterday over hiking the minimum wage of workers.
Production came to a halt in at least 50 garment factories in the district.
In Ashulia, over 200 factories suspended operations for the day as per an earlier decision of the BGMEA.
Garment workers in Ashulia have been demonstrating since the wage board on November 4 recommended a minimum monthly salary of Tk 5,300.
Witnesses said a group of workers of Islam Industrial Group in Janin started demonstrating in front of the factory around 8:00am.
The agitating workers induced their fellows in other factories to join the demonstration. About 10,000 workers from nearby factories joined the protest and hurled brickbats at police, triggering sporadic clashes with cops.
Police charged batons, fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells to disperse the workers. They brought the situation under control around 11:00am.
Additional police have been deployed in the area to avoid any deterioration in law and order.