RMG Workers’ Protests: Normalcy returns, at least for now

Striking garment workers yesterday returned to their workstations after more than 12 days of unrest following an assurance from the government of an acceptable minimum wage tomorrow.

No incident of unrest took place in the garment sector yesterday, said the labour leaders and factory owners.

The minimum wage board has called its sixth round of meeting on November 7 to fix the salary structure for the country's 4 million garment workers.

The leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association have authorised their representative on the wage board to agree to the amount suggested by the board in tomorrow's meeting.

"We also want the board to announce the salary at the November 7 meeting," said BGMEA President Faruque Hassan.

However, Hassan declined to share the new proposal that would be placed in the sixth board meeting of the wage board.

At the fourth meeting of the minimum wage board on October 22, Siddiqur Rahman, the factory owners' representative, proposed a minimum wage of Tk 10,400.

But Sirajul Islam Rony, the workers' representative, did not accept the amount and proposed a minimum wage of Tk 20,393, which is less than the workers' demand of Tk 23,000.

Rony told The Daily Star yesterday that he will stick to his proposed amount.

The minimum wage at present is Tk 8,300.

The workers went back to their workplaces and normalcy has been restored in the sector following the assurance of the announcement of the new wage structure on November 7, said Amirul Haque Amin, president of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council.

Basic pay should account for 65 percent of the new minimum wage, up from 51 at present, Amin said.

There should be a 10 percent annual increment, up from the existing 5 percent.

The pay grades must be brought down to five from seven, and there should be a ration card for garment workers so they can buy the basic commodities at subsidised rates, Amin added.

Amin's recommendation is similar to Rony's proposal to the wage board.

Of the Tk 20,393 proposed by Rony, Tk 12,462 would be basic pay, Tk 6,231 house rent, Tk 500 medical allowance, Tk 300 conveyance and Tk 900 food allowance.

Md Towhidur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Apparels Workers Federation, also demanded a ration card for garment workers.