10:19 am, Friday, 7 February 2025
Wage Negotiations Stuck for 11 Months

Tk 25,000 demanded as minimum wage for tannery workers

Bangladesh Tannery Workers Union (BTWU) on Tuesday called for the immediate announcement of a minimum wage of Tk 25,000 for workers in the tannery industry.

The trade union leaders made the demand at a press conference held at the National Press Club in Dhaka.

BTWU General Secretary Abdul Malek alleged that the minimum wage revision process for tannery workers has been stalled for over 11 months, despite a provision in the Bangladesh Labor Act requiring recommendations for minimum wage to be submitted to the Labor Ministry within six months of formation of the board.

The first meeting of the minimum wage board for tannery workers took place on August 17, 2023.

The trade union leaders blamed owners’ negligence for the delay in establishing a new wage structure for the workers.

They mentioned that the prolonged delay was detrimental to the industry’s stability and welfare, exacerbating the already dire financial conditions faced by tannery workers.

Many workers were in debt, struggling with rising living costs, and were unable to afford basic necessities such as food, housing, and medical treatment.

BTWU president, Abul Kalam Azad, Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad joint coordinator Naimul Ahsan Jewel and National Sramik Federation president Shamim Ara were attended the programme.

During the press conference, labour leaders claimed that the union’s proposal for a minimum wage was grounded in a comprehensive study that employed the globally recognized Anchor Methodology, ensuring the recommendation was realistic and meet international standards.

This wage proposal was supported by various national and international frameworks, including the Bangladesh Constitution, the Bangladesh Labor Act, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and ILO Convention 131, along with considerations of daily living expenses and social security programs, they said.

Union leaders at the conference said that the current minimum wage, set in 2018 at Tk 13,500, has increased by 5 per cent annually, reaching Tk 17,548 in 2024.

They criticized the wage proposal of Tk 16,064 presented by the owners in the fifth Wage Board meeting, describing it as inadequately analyzed and significantly lower.

they said that any negotiations below Tk 17,548 would be unlawful.

The board’s first two meetings were held on August 17, 2023, and February 27, 2024, respectively, but resulted in no decisions.

During the third meeting on May 6, 2024, workers submitted their proposals, but the owners did not present theirs.

Subsequent meetings on May 27, 2024, and June 23, 2024, saw the owners finally submit a proposal that was found to contradict existing laws.

Wage Negotiations Stuck for 11 Months

Tk 25,000 demanded as minimum wage for tannery workers

Update Time : 02:46:09 pm, Tuesday, 16 July 2024

Bangladesh Tannery Workers Union (BTWU) on Tuesday called for the immediate announcement of a minimum wage of Tk 25,000 for workers in the tannery industry.

The trade union leaders made the demand at a press conference held at the National Press Club in Dhaka.

BTWU General Secretary Abdul Malek alleged that the minimum wage revision process for tannery workers has been stalled for over 11 months, despite a provision in the Bangladesh Labor Act requiring recommendations for minimum wage to be submitted to the Labor Ministry within six months of formation of the board.

The first meeting of the minimum wage board for tannery workers took place on August 17, 2023.

The trade union leaders blamed owners’ negligence for the delay in establishing a new wage structure for the workers.

They mentioned that the prolonged delay was detrimental to the industry’s stability and welfare, exacerbating the already dire financial conditions faced by tannery workers.

Many workers were in debt, struggling with rising living costs, and were unable to afford basic necessities such as food, housing, and medical treatment.

BTWU president, Abul Kalam Azad, Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad joint coordinator Naimul Ahsan Jewel and National Sramik Federation president Shamim Ara were attended the programme.

During the press conference, labour leaders claimed that the union’s proposal for a minimum wage was grounded in a comprehensive study that employed the globally recognized Anchor Methodology, ensuring the recommendation was realistic and meet international standards.

This wage proposal was supported by various national and international frameworks, including the Bangladesh Constitution, the Bangladesh Labor Act, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and ILO Convention 131, along with considerations of daily living expenses and social security programs, they said.

Union leaders at the conference said that the current minimum wage, set in 2018 at Tk 13,500, has increased by 5 per cent annually, reaching Tk 17,548 in 2024.

They criticized the wage proposal of Tk 16,064 presented by the owners in the fifth Wage Board meeting, describing it as inadequately analyzed and significantly lower.

they said that any negotiations below Tk 17,548 would be unlawful.

The board’s first two meetings were held on August 17, 2023, and February 27, 2024, respectively, but resulted in no decisions.

During the third meeting on May 6, 2024, workers submitted their proposals, but the owners did not present theirs.

Subsequent meetings on May 27, 2024, and June 23, 2024, saw the owners finally submit a proposal that was found to contradict existing laws.