New Wage Structure for Garment Workers to be Finalized in December, Increased Pay from January

The new wage structure for the ready-made garment sector will be finalized by December and put into effect starting January. Representatives of both owners and workers shared this update on Wednesday after the Minimum Wage Board held its first meeting at its Segunbagicha office in Dhaka. Amid ongoing labor unrest, the board assured that the new minimum wage will be recommended without unnecessary delays.

Syed Azad Sobhani, a District and Sessions Judge and the newly appointed chairman of the wage board, presided over the meeting. He informed journalists that the board's second meeting will take place next week. During that session, representatives for the workers and the owners will submit their respective wage proposals in writing. A neutral board member will also present an independent wage proposal, which will then serve as the basis for further negotiations.

The government reconstituted the Minimum Wage Board through a gazette notification issued by the labor ministry last Sunday. Dhaka University Professor Mosleh Uddin Ahmed was appointed as the neutral member. Asif Ayub, joint secretary general of the Bangladesh Employers Federation, and Anwar Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, were appointed as permanent members representing the owners and workers, respectively. Additionally, BGMEA Director A B M Shamsuddin and BGIWF General Secretary Babul Akhter were included as the specific representatives for the garment sector.

A sudden change was also made in the board's leadership. According to industry sources, the previous chairman, Sheikh Ashfaqur Rahman, was replaced because he was deemed unsuitable for handling such a sensitive sector. He was transferred on Wednesday morning, making way for Syed Azad Sobhani.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing worker protests, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan met with Prime Minister Tareq Rahman on Tuesday evening. Following the meeting, Khan briefed newspaper editors, expressing hope that announcing a clear timeline for the new wage structure would reassure the workers. Meanwhile, workers' representative Babul Akhter urged employees to return to their factories to keep production running, assuring them that the government is actively working on finalizing their wages.