RMG labour rights bodies demand Tk 16,000 as minimum wage

Labour rights bodies of the readymade garment sector have demanded fixing Tk 16,000 as minimum wage and ensuring yearly increment of 10 per cent for RMG workers before June.

The demands were made at a press conference organised by six labour rights organisations at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Wednesday.   

At the programme General Secretary of Industrial Bangladesh Council (IBC) Md Towhidur Rahman said, “Following the demand from different labour rights bodies, the government has formed wage board in January to determine wages for garment workers by June.”

However, fixing wages for RMG workers might not be possible within the stipulated time frame as BGMEA had yet to extend cooperation in this regard, alleged Mr Rahman.

If the owners of readymade garment factories dawdle to cooperate in this regard, the enire RMG sector might witness anarchy, the rights bodies expressed their fear.

The labour rights bodies demanded that wages for RMG workers must be fixed before the incumbent government begins the process of forming election-time government.

Considering the wage structure of other countries including the neighbouring ones, the minimum wage of Tk 16,000 is necessary in order to ensure basic rights of workers and proper environment for production and development, the rights bodies added.

Among the organisations, Bangladesh Garment Workers 'Unity Council, Garments Workers and National Manch for Industrial Safety, Rights Movement for Garments Workers, Garment Workers' Wage Movement and Garments Workers Coordination Council took part in the conference.

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