New Wage Board for Garment Workers on Sunday, Labour Minister Announces

A wage board for garment workers will be formed tomorrow, Sunday, November 1, Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has announced.

He disclosed the information at a press briefing on Saturday, October 31, after a meeting at Shram Bhaban in the capital's Bijoy Nagar with representatives of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA).

The minister said the decision to form the wage board on Sunday followed a long five-hour discussion with labour leaders on Friday. BGMEA and BKMEA leaders have also accepted the workers' demand for a wage board, so there should be no further dispute on the issue, he said.

He said the payment of workers' arrears had also been discussed with BGMEA and BKMEA leaders, who would discuss with owners and take steps to pay the arrears as quickly as possible.

The minister said that with steps taken on forming the wage board and paying arrears, there was no need for vandalism or keeping factories closed, which could damage the garment industry.

Ariful Haque Chowdhury alleged that while workers were working in various factories, some outsiders were coming in and provoking them. He urged the media to show through video footage who the real workers are and who is taking part in the protests.

He said payment of workers' wages by the 7th of each month had also been discussed. If factories remain closed, production and product supply will be disrupted; if goods cannot be supplied to buyers, owners will not receive payment, which could in turn create problems in paying workers, he said.

Calling on workers to return to work, the labour minister said the government had taken steps to meet workers' demands, and owners, workers and all concerned must play a responsible role to maintain stability in the garment industry.

Labour and Employment Ministry Secretary Abdur Rahman Tarafdar, BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem, Executive President Fazle Shamim Ehsan, and BGMEA Vice-President Md Rezwan Selim, among other representatives, were present at the event.