Tk 12,500 announced as minimum wage for RMG workers

The minimum wage for the RMG workers has been
fixed at Taka 12,500.

This decision was taken today in the 6th meeting of the Minimum Wage Board
formed to increase wages of the RMG workers.

Later, State Minister for Labor and Employment Monnujan Sufian announced the
minimum wage for garment workers at a press conference held at Bangladesh
Secretariat.

She said, "We're announcing this new wage following instructions from the
Prime Minister. The minimum wage will increase by 56.25 percent. It will
increase from Taka 8,000 to Taka 12,500 with annual 5% increment."

The State Minister said that the new wage structure would be effective from
next December.

She said as per the recommendations of the wage board, the minimum wage has
been announced taking into account the suggestions of the owners and workers
adding that the RMG workers have long been demanding for raise in their
wages.

Monnujan also requested the owners to open up the factories and urged the
workers to return to work, saying, "I will urge the owners to open the
factories, I'll also request the workers to join their work... The 5 percent
increment remains in place."

Earlier, in the meeting of the wage board held at Segunbagicha in the capital
today, the owners proposed setting the minimum wage at Taka 12,500. The
proposal was finalized with the consent of all parties.

Siddiqur Rahman, the former president of BGMEA, was present at the meeting as
the owners' representative while Sirajul Islam Roni was present as the
workers' representative.

Earlier in December, 2018, the government announced new wages for the garment
workers for five years. Accordingly, the workers were demanding for
announcing the new wages by November 30.

The government formed the Minimum Wage Board last April to fix the minimum
wages for garment workers. In the fourth meeting of this board on October 22,
the representative of the workers proposed a minimum wage of Taka 20,393
while the owners offered minimum wage of Taka 10,400.

Currently the minimum wage for the RMG workers is Taka 8000. Garment workers
have been protesting for the last 2 weeks demanding wage hike.