CPD proposes doubling salary

The Centre for Policy Dialogue has recommended TK 6,560 as the minimum wage for an entry-level worker of the country’s garment sector.

The CPD, a think-tank of the country’s civil society, made the recommendation when the country’s apparel sector has been witnessing a labour unrest for fixing workers’ minimum monthly salary of Tk 8,114.

At present, an entry-level worker gets Tk 3,000 as minimum monthly salary.

As per the recommendation, an entry-level worker will get basic Tk 4,300, house rent Tk 1,720 and medical allowance Tk 540.

“This salary structure will be followed for an entry-level worker during his/her first year at factory,” said Khondaker Golam Moazzem, additional director (research) of CPD during a dialogue on “Minimum Wage for Garment Workers” held at the Cirdap Auditorium in the capital.

The gross salary will stand up at Tk 8,200 following a 20 percent increase in the second year, he added.

The minimum wage was last raised to Tk 3,000 in November 2010, from Tk 1,662.5.

Three years later this year, as the garment workers demand that the minimum salary be revised, the factory owners have offered Tk 600 hike.

As the proposal came on the back of the workers’ demanded that authorities should set Tk 8,114 as minimum monthly wage, it fuelled demonstration.

The aggrieved workers took to highways and the demonstration spread in Dhaka and its outskirts.

In the face of demonstration, several hundred factories had to shut their production for one or two days.

Meanwhile, at an emergency meeting Monday night, garment makers decided to reopen the chaos-hit factories on government assurance of adequate security.

“We assured garment factory owners of adequate security so that they can reopen the factories. We have also asked law enforcement agencies to strictly control the outsiders, as they instigate workers in resorting to vandalism,” said Mikail Shipar, secretary to labour and employment ministry.

Abdus Salam Murshedy, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association, after the meeting also confirmed that they would reopen the factories from Tuesday.

Two more decisions–submission of the wage structure within November by the minimum wage board, although the board has time up to December, and payment of workers’ salaries and bonus well ahead of Eid-ul Azha–were made in the emergency meeting.