The government will issue a gazette notification on November 1 announcing the formation of a minimum wage board for readymade garment (RMG) workers, says Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury.
Following separate meetings with representatives of garment workers and factory owners, the minister urged workers to return to work, saying the government had decided to address one of their key demands.
“The decision has been taken to announce the wage board tomorrow. Workers’ representatives have also submitted a list of their nominees to the board. The announcement will be published in the gazette tomorrow,” he told a press conference at his ministry office on Saturday.
The press conference followed a meeting with representatives of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA).
The minister said the government held discussions with labour leaders yesterday and met factory owners today to resolve the ongoing concerns in the garment sector.
He said the formation of the wage board had been among the workers’ major demands and that the government’s decision to establish the board should pave the way for workers to return to their workplaces.
The minister also urged the BGMEA and BKMEA to ensure the prompt payment of outstanding wages and other dues at factories where workers were yet to receive their payments.
Warning against attempts to disrupt industrial stability, he called on all concerned to remain vigilant against individuals seeking to destabilise the situation for personal or political interests unrelated to workers’ welfare.
The minister further said factory owners had agreed to a three-year tenure for the wage board, instead of the proposed five years, and had submitted the names of their representatives.