The New Nation - Internet Edition

Syful Islam

Inaction of stakeholders over enhancing wages of Readymade Garment (RMG) workers' has irked Chief Adviser's office leading to its desire to know the progress over the same, informed sources said.

The Ministry of Commerce, responding to the query of the Chief Adviser's office, on Thursday last has asked the stakeholders to immediately inform the latest development over the issue.

Earlier on September 17 Commerce Ministry asked the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) to sit together with labour leaders to sort out the problems.

However, no development over the issue was seen in the last five weeks. The BGMEA and the BKMEA are showing reluctance over the issue saying that they had sent a proposal to the government but the latter is yet to make any pay hike announcement.

On the other hand Commerce Secretary Firoz Ahmed said the pay hike was absolutely an issue of employers and employees--government should not be a party to it.

Informed sources said the BGMEA and the BKMEA had proposed a nominal hike of wages that could not make the government happy. Thus the government did not want to be part of the wage hike and forwarded the matter before the stakeholders for a suitable disposal.

Industry leaders said they were thinking to resolve the wage hike issue on case-to-case basis avoiding any formal announcement.

BGMEA president Anwarul Alam Chowdhury Parvez earlier told The New Nation that there was no development over the pay hike issue.

"We have sent a proposal to the government but the administration is taking time to declare it. Both the Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman and Labour Adviser Anwarul Iqbal asked me to announce the pay hike which is not my job," he said.

"It's government's duty to announce and implement pay hike. If it fails to do that the thing may be settled on case to case basis," Parvez added.

Parvez observed that BKMEA president Fazlul Huq's announcement of 20 per cent pay hike was not possible in these days when the industry is facing tough time due to various reasons.

Fazlul Huq said, they were waiting for the government decision over the issue.

"The government has to declare the pay hike. It wouldn't be implemented if we (the associations) declare it," he said.

Huq said, they did not send the proposal of 20 per cent pay hike except for a lump sump amount. He declined to disclose the figure what they proposed for hike.

The country's garment workers have been demanding a 20-per cent wage hike since the government had announced a dearness allowance (DA) for the public-sector employees.

In many places, the garment workers staged agitation in support of their demand and also vented their resentment through unruly way, like damaging factories and vehicles in the vicinities.

Over the last one-year prices of almost all commodities have gone up beyond the reach of the common people. Low paid people, especially the garment industry workers, are struggling for their survival in the ever-increasing prices of essential commodities.

The government had fixed minimum wages at Tk 1662 for garment workers on October 12, 2006 following the severe labour unrest in the RMG sector. But the minimum wages has dwindled to meagre wage due to acute escalation of price of commodities.