The second meeting of the National Wage Board for the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector in Bangladesh has concluded without reaching a definitive decision. The discussions centered on establishing a framework for determining wages and labor conditions within the industry, which is a crucial aspect of ensuring fair treatment and improved livelihoods for workers.
The second meeting discussed various global and domestic issues, the current situation in the apparel sector, the market prices of basic commodities, and the prices of garment items in the international markets during the meeting held at the office of the Minimum Wage Board in Dhaka last week.
Mr. Sirajul Islam Rony, president of the Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees League quoted “I hope to submit the wage proposal in the next meeting to be held next month,”. He represents workers on the new board. Mr. Rony also said workers’ views are important before placing any formal proposal on the monthly wage to the board. “The views and opinions of other trade unions will also be considered.”
Basic salary of the workers, house rent, service benefits, various allowances, workers’ pension benefits, and food intake will be taken into account in framing the monthly wage structure, Mr. Rony said to the media. So far, the majority of the unions in the garment sector have demanded a minimum monthly wage of Tk 23,000. Md. Siddiqur Rahman, owners’ representative on the board, said both workers’ representative and owners’ representative are expected to place their proposal in the next meeting.
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