RMG factory owners propose Tk 12,500 as minimum wage

The owners of the readymade garment (RMG) factories have proposed Tk 12,500 as a minimum wage for their workers.

The owners placed their proposal at a meeting of the Wage Board on Tuesday, former vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Siddiqur Rahman told Prothom Alo.

Workers’ representatives, who attended the meeting, confirmed the matter.

Though the meeting was scheduled to begin at 11:00 am, workers’ representatives arrived at 12:00 pm while the owners came at 12:10 pm, and the meeting ended at 1:30 pm.

The labour ministry will finally decide the minimum wage. The minster was scheduled to hold a meeting at 2:30 pm.

Sixty-three per cent of Tk 12,500 has been proposed as basic pay.

Apparel workers had been demonstrating for the past two weeks demanding a rise of minimum wage to Tk 23,000, forcing many factories to halt their operation. Factories, however, reopened this week.