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The government has taken steps to set minimum monthly wages for workers in 12 new sectors to bring them under regulations, according to sources.
The proposed sectors include private clinics, hospitals, diagnostic centres, dairy industry, electric and electronics goods manufacturing, poultry farming, brick kilns, commercial amusement parks, battery manufacturing, dried fish processing, private airlines, stone crushing and IT parks, they added.
Earlier, the Department of Labour and the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments collected information from the field level and recommended that the Ministry of Labour and Employment include these sectors in the wage board.
On August 22 this year, the Ministry of Labour and Employment requested the Bangladesh Employers Federation and the National Workers' League to submit names of owners and workers' representatives for the proposed sectors, said a ministry official.
However, they have yet to make their nominations. The issue was discussed in a meeting chaired by Labour Secretary Md Ehsan-e-Elahi on September 13, according to the official.
The Department of Labour has once again asked both organisations to nominate their respective representatives.
Besides, the ministry has asked the Employers Federation to nominate representatives for two additional sectors: oil mills and salt crushing industry, the official added. Currently, there are 43 formal industrial sectors, including ready-made garments (RMG), tanneries, shrimp farming and pharmaceuticals. The minimum wage board under the Ministry of Labour and Employment sets the minimum monthly wages for workers in these sectors.
The decision to include a sector in the wage board is made by the labour ministry, taking into account the sector's size, the number of employees and whether there is any association, owner or workers' trade union, the official elaborated. According to ministry officials, the government announces wage boards to review minimum wages for a sector every five years.
The wage board comprises a chairman, an independent member, one permanent representative from employers, one from workers and one temporary representative from employers and workers each.
According to wage board officials, minimum wage boards have been formed and currently work is underway to review monthly minimum wages for 12 formal sectors, including RMG, ceramics, soap and cosmetics, salt crushing and cold storage.