Wage board formed to set new pay for garment workers

A wage board has been formed to determine new minimum wages for garment workers, Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said on Sunday (November 1).

Speaking at around 11:30am, the minister said the government had constituted a six-member minimum wage board in accordance with the Labour Act. The board became effective from Sunday.

He said the board would hold its first meeting soon and decide on the new minimum wages through discussions.

The minister expressed hope that workers would end their street protests and return to their respective workplaces.

Earlier, on Saturday (October 31), the minister announced the plan to form the wage board following a meeting with representatives of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) at the Labour Building in Bijoynagar, Dhaka.