Bangladesh sets minimum wage for garment workers
NDTV.com, India
October 5, 2014
DHAKA (Reuters) – Bangladesh on Thursday fixed a minimum monthly wage for textile workers at 1,662 taka ($25) following months of protests that have often halted production at many factories, officials said.
They said the new wage structure was recommended by a government-appointed wage commission and was agreed to by the factory owners and workers’ unions.
“We have been able to fix the minimum wage in agreement among all sides involved, including workers and employers,” said Anwarul Haque, chairman of the commission.
“In doing that, we tried to make a balance between workers’ demands and the owners’ ability to pay,” he added.
The new structure involves seven grades, Anwarul said. A worker paid at the highest scale would receive 5,140 taka a month.
Annisul Haq, a garment factory owner and member of the wage commission, said the new pay structure was agreed to give the workers maximum possible benefits — though it would put much pressure on many employers.
Nazma Akhtar, a workers’ leader, said “we have accepted the new wages considering overall conditions in the (garments) industry.
“It has seen enough of troubles in recent months and further unrest would bring worse to the country’s prime export sector,” she said.
The garment sector is Bangladesh’s biggest export earning $7.9 billion in the year to June 2014, but its workers are among the lowest earning groups, trade unions say.
A farm labourer in Bangladesh earns around 3,000 taka a month, they said, adding that wages for factory workers must be
fixed at a level where they can at least survive.
Currently, garment workers earn a minimum monthly wage of 950 taka, a third of a farm labourer.
In late May, garment workers disgruntled over pay burned factories, battled police and attacked vehicles. One worker was killed and more than 150 injured.
The garment sector is Bangladesh’s second biggest employer — after agriculture — with about 4,000 factories employing about two million workers, many of whom toil in dangerous conditions.
