Legal provisions for setting minimum wages and minimum wages set for RMG workers

There are several factors to set minimum wages and also for RMG workers. Cost of living,
standard of living, cost of production, productivity, price of products, business capability,
economic and social conditions of the country must be considered. There should have reasonable
solution by ensuring a wage that can help meet the basic needs. The wages must also be inflation
adjusted.
We can see the change of wages during the last 34 years. In 1984 it was 560tk and in 2018 it is
8000tk. On the other hand, workers opposed demanding for 16,000tk. Now a days living in
Bangladesh is very costly. Mainly around Dhaka city. Maximum garments are situated in Savar,
Gazipur area. In those place living cost is so high.
If we see the gradual increase of wage rate of the workers which was 5300tk in 2013. After 5
years it is increased by only 2700tk. But the living standards has changes more than that. On the
other hand the work environment is not secured enough for the workers. They are taking their
life risk for their work. It should be considered for setting up the minimum wage rate of the
workers. They are the asset of our county. They taking risk for our economic growth. It is high
time, we should thing about that every industry being able to afford a new pay scale for RMG
workers.
Government need to establish a board consisting a chairman, one independent member, one
member to represent the employers and one member to represent the workers. Every pros and
cons need to be discussed for the employee and employers to. Then we need to come up a
reasonable minimum wage rete. At present the workers demand is high and the minimum setting
wage rate is also not fare.
Govt. need to take initiative for the sake of RMG sectors of Bangladesh. Need to take necessary
steps to keep the sector alive.

Najib Mubin
1915323660