Garment workers propose Tk 20,400 as minimum salary, owners propose Tk 10,400

The representative of garment workers on Sunday proposed Tk 20,400 as minimum monthly salary while the owners representatives proposed increasing their minimum salary by Tk 2400 to Tk 10400.

President of Jatiya Garment Sramik Kormachari League (JGSKL) Sirajul Islam Rony, former president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and representative of garment owners Md Siddiqur Rahman submitted their proposals from their respective sides Liaqat Ali Mollah, Chairman of the Minimum Wage Board at his office in Palatan in the capital on Sunday.

After receiving the proposals from both sides, Liakat Ali said that the labour side is asking for Tk 20,400 and the owner side is asking for Tk 10400. “There is quite a gap in the proposals of both parties.”

“The fifth meeting of the wage board will be held on November 1. The meeting will propose reducing the gap,” he said.

Former president of BGMEA Siddiqur Rahman said there is always a difference in the proposals of the workers and the owners.

He said, “Keeping in mind the state of the global economy and the various contexts of industrial entrepreneurs, we have made this proposal.”

Highlighting the rationale of the proposal, he said, that after the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and then the Israel-Hamas war started. All things considered, wages should be increased.

However, “Since the Chairman has asked to reduce the wage proposal of the workers and owners, we will discuss with the owners as soon as possible and inform them in the next meeting,” he added.

In addition, private research organization Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) proposed to make the minimum salary Tk 17565 after evaluating the quality of life of the workers.