Dhaka:Readymade garment (RMG) industry owners have urged workers to return to work and suspend their ongoing protests until the newly-formed wage board announces its final decision on minimum wages. The owners emphasize the need to maintain uninterrupted factory production.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the issue of increasing workers' wages and benefits should be resolved through the established institutional process, considering both workers' interests and the financial capacity of the industries. Md Fazlul Hoque, former President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and current Administrator of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), stated that the wage increases should be settled formally, urging all parties to remain patient until the wage board reaches its decision.
Hoque mentioned that the previous provision required a wage board review every five years. However, when the last wage board was formed in 2021, it decided on an annual increment of five percent for five consecutive years. The interim government then reduced the review period to three years and raised the annual increment to nine percent. He noted that the owners accepted this decision, which favored workers, despite challenging circumstances.
Fazlul Hoque pointed out that the three-year period is set to expire next January and stressed that wage increases should be processed through prescribed channels rather than rallies or protests. He highlighted the importance of considering the industries' financial capacity alongside workers' demands, as raising wages without assessing the industry's ability to bear additional costs would not be sustainable.
Expressing respect for workers' hardships, Hoque emphasized resolving issues through established procedures. The government-formed wage board includes two representatives each from the workers' and employers' sides, along with government representatives. Hoque urged all parties to have confidence in the board's decision.
Regarding factory closures amid unrest, Hoque noted that different figures were reported, while isolated processions in Uttara indicated workers' discontent days before the current situation. He called for patience and responsibility to restore normalcy, suggesting that waiting for the wage board's decision is the appropriate course of action.
Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, executive president of the current BKMEA board and president of the Bangladesh Employers' Federation, acknowledged the government's formation of a wage board to determine salaries. He stressed identifying the reasons behind ongoing protests through discussions and coordination among stakeholders.
Ehsan emphasized the importance of understanding workers' demands and unrest causes following the wage board's formation. He called for coordinated initiatives by relevant agencies to identify the root causes of workers' discontent and maintain a normal working environment in industrial areas.