Pay scale for water transport workers announced

28 June 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Labour, Employment and Expatriates Welfare Minister Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday formally announced the new pay scales for the water transport workers, fixing Tk 2,190 as minimum basic wages and Tk 6,720 as maximum wages. The minister announced this at a press briefing at his ministry conference room. He said the new pay scale will be effective from January 1, 2009 and the enhanced allowance will be paid from July 1 this year. According to the new gazette, workers of different religions will get festive allowance equal to their basic salary. But a worker will have to work for the organisation concerned at least 90 days to be eligible for getting the allowance. Mosharraf urged the vessel owners to pay salaries of the workers according to the new pay scale and warned of action, if anyone violates the rule. Talking to The Daily Star, vice president of the Bangaldesh Noujan Sramik Federation, the largest organisation of water transport workers, Shah Alam said the new wage structure is completely inconsistent with the present market price. It is impossible to lead life with this salary.