Garment factory owners in Bangladesh on Tuesday, agreed to meet all the demands of protesting workers, including increases in attendance bonuses, tiffin and night allowances, the payment of outstanding wages, and the implementation of the latest wage board award for all workers in the sector.

The labour ministry, factory owners, and labour leaders compiled an 18-point list of demands based on the needs expressed by workers from various RMG factories.

At a press conference held at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Tuesday, Labour Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan urged RMG workers to return to work, emphasising that all their demands had been addressed.

He said that factory owners and labour leaders had issued a joint statement agreeing to implement all 18 points of the workers’ demands immediately.

The Labour Adviser expressed hope that normalcy would be restored in the industrial areas from Wednesday, following the agreement to meet the workers’ demands.

During the press conference, Labour Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman announced that garment factory owners had agreed to increase the attendance bonus by Tk 225, along with an additional Tk 10 for the tiffin bill. The minimum night allowance will be set at Tk 100.

He said that factory owners committed to implementing the minimum wage in all factories by October and ensuring that all dues would be paid by October 10.

RMG factory owners also agreed that employment would be based on merit, without discrimination between men and women, depending on the type of work.

According to the joint statement agreed upon by both owners and workers’ leaders, workers cannot be unfairly retrenched in violation of labour laws, and the period of maternity leave will be extended to 120 days.

The statement said that the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and the food ministry would provide daily necessities at affordable prices in labour-intensive areas while, a proposal would be submitted to establish a permanent ration system for workers.

Factory owners have also agreed to set up day-care centres in all factories, in line with the Labour Act.

Regarding the minimum wage revision, both parties have concurred on forming a committee led by an additional secretary from the labour ministry, comprising three representatives each from the workers’ and owners’ sides. This committee would review wage regulations and industry capabilities within six months.

Furthermore, the committee will make recommendations on the annual increment by November, taking current inflation into account.

‘After extensive discussions, decisions have been made regarding the workers’ demands, and we do not want to see any unrest in the RMG industry from Wednesday,’ he said.

The home adviser stated that all factories would reopen on Wednesday, and that action would be taken against anyone attempting to create unrest.

Regarding other demands including introduction of Provident Fund the factory owners and labour leaders agreed that the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments consult with both workers and owners in this regard.

The statement also read that that all cases filed against workers, including those related to the 2023 wage movement, would be reviewed and settled through the law ministry.

Additionally, families of the four workers who lost their lives during the wage agitation would receive compensation.

In relation to the blacklisting of workers in the BGMEA biometric database, a technical committee from the labour ministry will review the system and submit a report by October.

Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury stressed the importance of all parties committing to the implementation of these decisions to prevent any adverse situations in industrial areas.

After the announcement of the statement, Kutubuddin Ahmed, former general secretary of InduariAll Bangladesh Council urged the workers to join work from Wednesday as factory owners agreed to meet their demands.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Khandoker Rafiqul Islam urged the government to ensure security for factory operations starting Wednesday.

He said that many of the country’s largest RMG factories, located in Ashulia, had been closed for an extended period due to labour unrest.

‘We want to operate smoothly from Wednesday and do not wish to see any more unrest or vandalism,’ BGMEA president said.

According to BGMEA statistics, 39 garment factories in Savar, Ashulia, and Gazipur suspended operations on Tuesday as workers continued their protests over various demands, including a wage hike.

Of the 39 factories, 35 are located in the Savar and Ashulia zones, while the remaining four are in Gazipur.

A total of 29 RMG factories in the Ashulia area remained shut in accordance with the labour law provision 13(1), which states ‘no work, no pay.’

Another six factories announced a holiday, as workers either left or did not report for work after initially joining in the morning.

Unrest in the readymade garment sector began in the last week of August due to these demands and has persisted since.