Bangladesh Moves to Form Garment Wage Board, Urges Workers to End Protests

Bangladesh’s labour minister has said a garment wage board will be formed on 1 November, as protests over pay and unpaid wages continue in and around Dhaka. He told a press briefing at the labour ministry that workers no longer have reason to stay on the streets and should return to their factories.

The announcement followed about five hours of talks on Friday between the minister, labour leaders and the two main factory-owner groups, BGMEA and BKMEA. The minister said both associations accepted the workers’ demand for a garment wage board. Their leaders will speak to factory owners about clearing overdue salaries as quickly as possible, he added.

Officials also discussed making sure workers are paid by the seventh of each month. The minister warned against vandalism and factory closures, saying they disrupt production and shipments and make it harder for owners to pay wages. He alleged that outsiders had entered some factories to stir up workers and asked the media to use video footage to tell genuine workers apart from agitators.

The unrest has disrupted traffic in several areas. Workers blocked roads in Mirpur on Saturday, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, and some factories in Ashulia and nearby areas declared holidays. The current minimum wage for garment workers is Tk 12,500 a month, set in 2023, and the amended labour law now requires a review every three years, so the next one falls due this December.

Under the labour law, a minimum wage board has a government-appointed chairman and an independent member, plus one representative each from employers and workers. The ministry had earlier asked both sides for names. What the garment wage board will recommend, and when any new rate would take effect, has not yet been announced.

Originally reported by Sarakhon.