BGMEA, BKMEA welcome formation of new wage board for RMG workers

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) on Sunday welcomed the government's decision to form a six-member minimum wage board to revise the salary structure for readymade garment (RMG) workers, expressing hope that it would help ensure a fair and sustainable wage structure through dialogue.

In two separate statements, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan and BKMEA President Mohammad Hasan Hatem expressed their support for the government's initiative, according to UNB report. 

They acknowledged that garment workers are facing severe financial pressure due to the rising cost of living amid high inflation.

At the same time, they pointed to challenges facing the apparel industry, including the global economic slowdown, energy crises, rising production costs and declining export orders.

Emphasising that ensuring fair wages and keeping factories operational are equally important, the leaders said the representation of the government, factory owners and workers on the wage board would help establish a realistic and sustainable wage structure through dialogue.

Workers and industries complement each other, they said, adding that if workers survive, the industry survives, and if the industry survives, workers survive.

Regarding factory operations, the BGMEA and BKMEA presidents told UNB that some factories had temporarily shut down for security reasons, but production had resumed and was running in full swing across major apparel hubs in Gazipur and Narayanganj after the situation normalised.

Meanwhile, garment workers staged demonstrations and blocked roads in Dhaka and Gazipur on Sunday, disrupting traffic and triggering clashes with police and incidents of vandalism.

Authorities of over 100 garment factories in Gazipur declared holiday on Sunday following labour unrest and protests demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, according to Industrial Police.

However, many of these factories have already reopened after the situation became normal following the formation of a six-member minimum wage board on Sunday to revise the minimum salary structure for readymade garments (RMG).

Industrial Police Superintendent Mohammad Amzad Hossain confirmed that the authorities were forced to shut over a hundred factories in the area amid escalating protests.