10-point tripartite accord signed: Minimum wage board for garment workers soon

10-point tripartite accord signed: Minimum wage board for garment workers soon
The New Nation, Bangladesh

In the wake of recent labour unrest at the country’s ready-made garment factories, the representatives of the government, ready-made garment owners and workers yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) pledging the fixation of minimum salary for workers within the next three months and offering them the trade union rights.

State Minister for Labour and Employment Amanullah Aman, BGMEA President Tipu Munshi and Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP) President Dr Wazedul Islam formally signed the 10-point agreement on behalf of the government, garment factory owners and workers respectively.

The MoU was signed at a tripartite meeting at the Ministry of Labour and Employment with the State Minister for Labour and Employment in the chair.

Leaders of the BGMEA, BKMEA, and SKOP were present.

According to the MoU, garment workers will receive appointment letters and identity cards, no obstruction will be made in formation of trade unions at garment factories, workers will enjoy one-day weekly holiday and other public holidays, regular workers will get overtime allowance if they work after eight hours, female workers will get maternity leave with their monthly salary, and a wage board will be formed to fix the wages for garment workers within three months.

It was agreed that the cases filed against the workers for getting involve in recent labour unrest at garment factories would be withdrawn and arrested workers would be released. No workers, who had joined the movement would be dismissed from their jobs. All closed factories would resume production to make the situation calm and quiet.

The meeting decided that the wage board would be constituted within three months and other agreed matters would be implemented in one month.

It may be mentioned that the government had fixed the minimum wage for the garments workers at Tk 930 in 1994, but it remains the same for the last 11 years while prices of essentials and house rent have increased several folds during the period.

Garments workers have been demanding that the government raise the minimum wage for them to Tk 2,500.

On behalf of the garment factory owners, BGMEA vice-president SM Fazlul Huq, former BGMEA president Annisul Huq, vice-president Abdus Salam Murshedi, BKMEA president Fazlul Huq, and director MA Baten signed the memorandum.

Jatiya Sramik League general secretary Roy Ramesh Chandra, Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal general secretary Jafrul Hasan, Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra president Nurul Alam, Jatiya Sramik Federation president Shafiqur Rahman Mazumder, Jatiya Sramik Jote president Abdul Quader Howlader, Jatiya Sramik Federation general secretary Shafiuddin Ahmed, Sangjukta Sramik Federation vice-president Harunur Rashid Bhuiyan, Jatiya Sramik Jote president Mesbahuddin Ahmed, Trade Union Sangha general secretary Ashqul Alam Chowdhury, Bangladesh Sramik Federation president Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar, MP, Samajtantrik Sramik Front president Abdullah Sarkar, Mukta Sramik Federation general secretary Mujibur Rahman Bhuiyan, BFUC general secretary Mamunur Rashid Chowdhury, Jatiya Sramik Federation general secretary Zakir Hossain, Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal acting president Abul Kashem Chowdhury and Jatiya Sramik League vice-president Shahjahan Khan, MP signed the MoU on behalf of the workers.

© Copyright 2003 by The New Nation

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