The government has announced a long-awaited wage hike for cold storage workers, increasing the minimum monthly salary to Tk 14,000 after a gap of 12 years.

The last wage review in the sector was conducted in 2012, when the minimum wage was set at Tk 6,050.

On December 5, the Ministry of Labour published a gazette notification outlining the new wage structure for cold storage workers.

The revised pay scale introduces four grades, with a 5 per cent annual increment provision included in the new framework.

Under the new structure, Grade IV workers will receive a minimum monthly wage of Tk 14,000.

This includes a basic pay of Tk 8,400, with 50 per cent of the basic pay allocated as house rent, Tk 800 for medical allowances, and Tk 600 for travel allowances.

Grade III workers will see their pay rise to Tk 19,400, which includes a basic pay of Tk 12,000, along with similar allowances.

Grade II workers will earn a minimum monthly wage of Tk 20,264, with a basic pay of Tk 12,576, while Grade I workers will receive Tk 21,350, which includes a basic pay of Tk 13,300, along with the same allowances.

The new wage structure also sets the gross monthly pay for apprentice workers at Tk 9,800, with a six-month apprenticeship period.

The cold storage sector, which operates 370 cold storages across the country, employs around 6,000 workers.

The Ministry of Labour formed a wage board for the sector on January 25, 2021, appointing both employer and worker representatives.

The board issued a draft proposal on September 12, 2023, recommending the new wage structure and inviting written objections or suggestions from stakeholders within 14 days.

Following the final recommendation from the wage board, the Ministry of Labour officially announced the new wage structure for the cold storage sector.