Letters To Editor
Minimum wage for garment workers
BDT 5,300 has been finalised as the minimum wage for garment workers with yearly 5% increment. Also, an apprentice will be paid minimum TK 4,180.
If we look closely we can find some flaws that will actually make the whole effort vague. Here is why:
1. A new entrant will receive minimum TK 4,180 which is less than the wage of non-new entrants. That means it will open the door for the garment owners to oppress the labourers in a new way. First, they would terminate existing labourers and then re-hire them as new entrants. The poor laborers will fall prey to the new system of oppression.
2. The 5% yearly increment will never be enough to adjust to the trend of 7.8%-8% yearly inflation rate. The living standard will never improve as a result of this inflation gap. The result: again we will see unrest in the sector.
In order to rectify this error, govt. can introduce a new law that if a person gains 2000 hours of experience in the industry, no owner can treat her as apprentice anymore. Yearly increment should be fixed at inflation rate or at least not less than 85% of it.
We really want an end to the wage war in the garment industry once and for all.
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