The government has fixed the minimum monthly wages for the tannery sector workers, announcing a 46.28 per cent hike, officials said.
The minimum monthly wages for the grade-V workers living in the divisional cities and in Savar area has been fixed at Tk 13,500. It is Tk 12,800 for the workers living in other cities, according to a gazette notification, issued by Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) on February 27.
A 5.0 per cent annual increment of the basic has also been announced for the first time, officials said.
The minimum monthly wages for the tannery sector workers and employees was fixed at Tk 8,750 in 2011.
The basic payment for all the cities has been fixed at Tk 7,000 up from Tk 5,500, whereas house rent at Tk 4,900 for the divisional cities and Savar area and Tk 4,200 for other cities, which was Tk 2,750, according to the gazette notification.
The medical and transportation allowances have been fixed at Tk 1,000 and Tk 600 respectively. The allowances have been increased by Tk 700 and Tk 400 respectively, it showed.
An apprentice worker will get Tk 7,000 as gross monthly wage.
Md Abdul Malek, Bangladesh Tannery Workers' Union general secretary and also a member of the Wage Board, said some 30,000 workers are employed in the sector. "We demanded Tk 16,000 as the minimum monthly wage taking the living cost and other issues into consideration."
But the amount was finally proposed by the board after holding several meetings, he added. Some 170 tanneries are listed with Bangladesh Tanners Association, according to its officials.
MoLE on April 16 last year formed the Wage Board, announcing the names of representatives of both the owners and the workers.
The board on December 24, 2017 made its recommendations, proposing Tk 13,500 and Tk 12,800 as the minimum monthly wages for the workers living in the divisional cities and in Savar area and for the workers living in other cities respectively.
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