The minimum wage board for the Bangladesh cotton textile sector has finalised its recommendations, providing Tk 5,710 as gross monthly pay for the sector workers. Currently, the minimum wage for this sector is Tk 3,302 which was set in 2011.The wage board published the proposal along with other recommendations in a gazette notification on January 24, they were asking for any written objections against or suggestions on the recommendation in 14 days.

Both owners and workers representatives to the wage board said the board made the recommendation ‘unanimously’ while labour leaders said that the proposed amount was not acceptable. Wajed-ul Islam Khan, a veteran labour leader and former coordinator of Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad, said the amount of proposed minimum wage for the cotton textile sector was not acceptable. “It is not possible at all for a worker to meet the monthly expenditure of family with Tk 5,710. I don’t know how the wage board has proposed such a poor amount as the minimum wage,” he said.

In its recommendations, the wage board has incorporated 10 grades for workers and six grades for employees in the sector. The government formed the wage board in April last year to review the minimum wage for the cotton textile sector workers within six months. Later, the government extended the time by six more months and the board members visited several textile and spinning mills to assess the living standard of workers, productivity, production costs, prices of products and strength of the sector. After the assessment, the board has proposed Tk 5,710 as the minimum monthly wage for the workers in grade-10.