Garment Workers' New Minimum Wage Effective from December, to Be Paid in January

The new minimum wage for workers in the ready-made garment sector will take effect from December — representatives of the owners and the workers have agreed on the timeline. Workers, however, will receive the increased wage in their hands in January of the following year.

The two sides reached the understanding on the implementation timeline at the first formal meeting held on Wednesday (4 November) at the office of the Minimum Wage Board at Segunbagicha in the capital. The meeting was organised as part of the process of re-fixing the minimum wage for the garment sector.

After the meeting, workers' representative Babul Akhtar said: 'The new wage will be effective from December and the workers will receive it from January.'

Confirming the same decision, owners' representative A B M Shamsuddin said the new wage structure would be made effective from December and that workers would be paid at the new rate in January of the coming year.

Meanwhile, amid the ongoing workers' protests over the wage demand, holidays have been declared at 30 factories in Gazipur.

There is also hope that a recommendation on the garment workers' new wage will come within a month.