New wage board for garment workers, exporters apprehensive

12 Feb '09

1 min read

Strikes with concern to wages had dominated the garment sector, in the first half of 2008. But now, with the government constituting a wage board to opine on the wage increase to apparel workers, it is now the turn of the manufacturers and exporters, who are up in arms protesting against the timing of the wage hike.

The exporters say that export per unit prices have started gradually moving southwards due to the ongoing global recessionary trends and foresee the per unit prices to fall further in case the situation does not show signs of improvement, in which case, they say, it will be difficult to implement the wage increases.

The clothing industry workers are demanding an appropriate wage hike from the existing Taka 1662.50, which is the minimum wage as proscribed by the government, due to rising costs of essential commodities.

The exporters on their part are demanding cash incentives, on the basis of export performance to offset the increase in wages and also insisting that the recommendations sent by them to the textile ministry be implemented at the earliest in the form of a stimulus package, on the lines of those announced by India, China and Pakistan.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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