Dhaka:In an unprecedented move, the government has formed a Wage Board and held its maiden meeting within a remarkably short time. Labour leaders are now urging garment workers to withdraw from street protests and return to their workplaces, assuring them that the new wage structure would be announced soon and implemented from December.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, a tripartite meeting involving representatives of garment factory owners, workers, and the government was convened with only a few hours' notice. The formation of the Wage Board and its first meeting on the same day marks a record in the country's labour relations history.
Labour leaders described the government's prompt initiative as a positive development in addressing workers' wage-related demands. They emphasized resolving the ongoing unrest in the readymade garment (RMG) sector through dialogue rather than confrontation. Workers are expected to receive wages under the new structure in the first week of January, and leaders urged them to remain patient as the Wage Board completes its work.
At a press conference held at the Ministry of Labour and Employment's conference room, labour leaders expressed appreciation for the government's initiative and called for an immediate end to street demonstrations. Nazma Akter, president of the Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation, highlighted the government's rapid response as a demonstration of its sincerity and willingness to resolve the crisis.
Nazma Akter praised the tripartite meeting and the swift formation of the Wage Board as historic and unprecedented. She expressed optimism that the Wage Board would fulfill its responsibilities through discussions among all relevant stakeholders and announced that the board's next meeting would be held on November 9 to continue discussions on the new wage structure.
Emphasizing the need to protect the country's garment industry, Akter urged all parties to work together to maintain industrial stability and safeguard the livelihoods of millions of workers. She called on workers to trust the ongoing process and allow the Wage Board to proceed with its work.
Labour leaders strongly urged workers still participating in street demonstrations to withdraw and return to their workplaces. They cautioned that continued agitation could undermine production, employment, and export activities. Instead, they stressed resolving the wage issue through institutional dialogue and mutual understanding.
The leaders assured workers that their wage demands were being addressed through the newly formed Wage Board and that the government had taken timely steps to ensure a solution. They emphasized the importance of maintaining a peaceful working environment as the Wage Board continues consultations with workers' and employers' representatives.
Bangladesh Garment Workers Trade Union Centre central president Advocate Montu Ghosh and Bangladesh Sweater Garment Workers Federation central president AAM Foyez Hossain also spoke at the press conference. The RMG sector, being the country's largest export-earning industry and a major source of employment, demands both competitiveness and the fulfillment of workers' legitimate wage demands.
Labour leaders expressed hope that the swift formation and functioning of the Wage Board would help restore normalcy in the sector and pave the way for a mutually acceptable resolution of the wage issue.