Minimum Wage Board formed amid garment workers' protests, clashes
- Protesters asked to join their works
A wage board has been formed for determining the minimum wages of the garment workers amid protests of the workers in various industrial zones. Agamir Somoy.
The government has formed a new minimum wage board amid protests and blockades by garment workers. Labor and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury disclosed this at a press conference on Sunday.
The press conference was held at the Ministry of Labor and Employment. Representatives of owners and workers have been appointed to the wage board for determining the minimum wage. A notification regarding this was also issued Sunday from the Wage Board Branch of the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
According to ministry sources, a specific decision to announce the wage board Sunday was taken after multiple meetings and discussions with representatives of owners and workers.
However, despite the board formation process being finalized, Labor Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury has alleged that a certain quarter, with the intention of creating instability against the government and causing public suffering, has been deliberately continuing to bring workers onto the streets in protests.
Ariful Haque Choudhury said, "I have sat with worker leaders, and I have also sat with representatives of the owners. After that, it was seen that from this morning until now, all the workers were brought out. I hope that through this announcement of mine, we are announcing today whatever demands the worker brothers had."
After forming a 6-member minimum wage board for garment workers in accordance with labor law, the minister said, "This will be effective from now on. They will formulate the wage structure in the shortest possible time. The workers' demand was to form a wage board. Now it has been formed. I hope they will now leave the streets."
Claiming that there is political instigation behind bringing workers onto the streets, Choudhury said a group is trying to reap benefits by using this as a front. These matters have appeared on social media. If the public remains vigilant, that attempt will not succeed.
According to the ministry's notification, ABM Shamsuddin, a director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), has been appointed as the representative of the owners' side in the ready-made garment industry. On the other hand, Babul Akhtar, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, has been appointed as the representative of the workers' side.
The notification stated that these appointments were made under the powers conferred by sub-clauses 3(a) and 3(b) of Section 138 of the Bangladesh Labor Act, 2006. The appointments were made for the purpose of performing the functions specified in Section 139 of the Labor Act. The chairman of the Minimum Wage Board has been requested to take necessary follow-up actions in this regard.
Furthermore, the notification asked the Bangladesh Government Press to take necessary measures to publish it as a gazette.The members of the 6-member Minimum Wage Board, chaired by Justice Sheikh Asfaqur Rahman, are—Dr. Mosleh Uddin Ahmed (Professor, Department of Public Administration, Dhaka University) as the neutral member. Asif Ayub (Joint Secretary General, Bangladesh Employers Federation Chamber) has been appointed as the representative of the owners' side.Additionally, Anwar Hossain (President, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal) is on the workers' side. Shamsuddin (Director, BGMEA) is on the wage board as the representative of the garment industry or owners' side. On the other hand, Babul Akhtar (General Secretary, Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation) has been appointed as the representative of the workers' side.Garment factory workers have been protesting by blocking roads in various areas of the capital Dhaka, Gazipur, and Savar for several days, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Taka 30,000. Today as well, workers are protesting in Mirpur of the capital, Gazipur, and on the Dhaka-Tangail highway. During the protests, workers and police engaged in chase-and-counter-chase and clashes. Incidents of setting fire to police boxes occurred in several areas.
