Minimum wage for garment workers raised to Tk 8,000

The government has raised the minimum wage for readymade garment workers to Tk 8,000.

The announcement is a 51 percent increase over current minimum wage, Tk 5,300. The minimum wage had previously been set on Dec 1, 2013.

Workers unions had been campaigning for a minimum wage of Tk 16,000, while garment owners had proposed an increase to Tk 6,360.

State Minister for Labour Md Mujibul Haque announced the new wage structure at a press conference at the Secretariat on Thursday after the new wage board met with owners and workers at its offices.

According to his announcement, the new minimum wage for garment workers is Tk 8,000. Basic pay is Tk 4,100, rent is Tk 2,050 and Tk 1,850 is for additional costs.

The new wage structure will take effect from December after a notice is issued, the state minister said. 

When the wage board was convening at its Topkhana's office at 3pm, several organisations of workers were demonstrating outside.

As the members of the wage board were going to the Secretariat after the meeting at 4:30pm, hundreds of workers shouted slogans and reiterated their demand for Tk 16,000 as the minimum wage

The government has apparently followed the wage structure of the state-owned industrial factory workers to determine the new minimum wage for the garments workers.