DHAKA: Apparel owners conditionally agreed to a 7-grade wage structure for the workers with Tk 3000 fixed as the minimum take-home pay.

The wage structure was determined Tuesday at the final meeting of the wage board for the workers formed by the government.

The labour side of the tripartite wage-board body, however, did not agree to the wage structure, as labour organisations have long demanded Tk 5000 as minimum wage.

A joint meeting of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) Wednesday agreed to implement the wage scales.

The owners sought 120 days for implementing the new pay structure for the workers in the export industry that fetches the country the highest quantum of export earnings and employs around three million workers.

However, they set around a dozen conditions for implementing the wage- board award.

The conditions include:  quick implementation of the second stimulus package, ensuring security of the industries, ensuring power and gas supply and waiver of minimum charge, reduction of tax at source to 0 from 0.25 percent, waiving 15 percent VAT on house rent, bringing down bank interest to a single-digit rate, maintaining provisions of labour law without any new condition and Tk 15 subsidy on per-litre diesel and furnace oil.

Wrapping up a four-hour joint meeting at the BGMEA Bhaban at Karwan Bazar, BGMEA president Salam Murshedy said the garment industries have been facing a lot of troubles, including port inconveniences, downturn in export, power shortages and increase in prices of raw materials.

“Against this backdrop, we accepted the minimum wages for the sake of the country. But the government must realise our situation,” Murshedy said.

BKMEA president Selim Osman said power-shortage problem was spurred the recurrent labour unrest as the manufacturers had to cut down expenses for production shortfalls.

He said a high-powered committee on behalf of the BGMEA and the BKMEA will negotiate with the government on the conditions they spelt out.   

The scales are:  

Grade 1    Basic Tk 6500 (total Tk 9300)
Grade 2    Basic Tk 4200 (total Tk 7200)
Grade 3    Basic Tk 2800 (total Tk 4120)
Grade 4    Basic Tk 2700 (total Tk 3980)
Grade 5    Basic Tk 2500 (total Tk 3700)
Grade 6    Basic Tk 2200 (total Tk 3280)
Grade 7     Basic Tk 2000 (total Tk 3000)  


BDST 2100 HRS, JULY 28, 2010.