Labour Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury has said the government will publish a gazette notification for a minimum wage board as soon as it receives nominees from workers’ representatives.
The process is nearing completion, with the employers’ list already received, he said at meetings of the Tripartite Consultative Council in Dhaka on Tuesday, according to a ministry statement.
Anwar Hossain, president of the BNP-affiliated Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, said his organisation had proposed three names on Sunday. He told bdnews24.com on Tuesday that the list had been resubmitted after a technical issue.
“There was a bit of a technical issue, so we changed the names and submitted them again today,” Anwar said.
The three proposed nominees are Sramik Dal Joint Secretary General Mostafizul Karim, Women’s Affairs Secretary Kohinur Mahmud and Publicity and Publication Secretary Manjurul Islam, all central leaders of the organisation.
The government forms a four-member minimum wage board with a chairperson, independent member, employers’ representative and workers’ representative. Industry representatives help set minimum wages for their sector.
At Tuesday’s meetings, the labour minister urged employers to pay workers’ outstanding wages by the seventh day of each month.
He also called on protesting workers to avoid blocking roads and causing public hardship, urging them to resolve disputes through discussions inside factories.
Ariful warned that the government would not tolerate attempts to create disorder in industrial areas to embarrass the administration or serve ulterior purposes.
“I am instructing law enforcing agencies and intelligence bodies to bring to justice those outside genuine workers’ leadership who are inciting unrest and turning non-issues into issues,” he said.
Labour leader Nazma Akter said the wage board process was expected to be completed by October, with government talks also covering wage rises, rent control, essential goods’ prices, and gas and energy shortages.
Another labour leader Razequzzaman Ratan said the consultative council had reached a policy decision on forming the board and expressed hope it would be implemented quickly.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Vice-President Rezwan Selim called for a lasting resolution to ongoing protests in Gazipur and Kaliakair.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Mohammad Hatem said employers and workers both supported wage rises and could avoid further protests by maintaining a common position.