Staff Correspondent (RMG Times)  Long awaiting new minimum wage board is going to be formed for the garment workers by next week. Government has taken all the necessary initiatives for this. The list of the factory owners and workers representatives is already sent to the Labor Ministry. The board has to set forth a new wage layout within next six months of its formation. From that perspective the workers can have the relish of their new extended salary.

“We have a plan to form the new wage board in this very instant. The fixed date of the formation can be brought to light by Wednesday, 27^th December. We will discuss with honorable Prime Minister on it” said Mujibul Hauque Chunnu, State Minister, Ministry of Labor and Employment.

According to source, the ministry informs the factory owners and worker representatives for their list of names which will be sent to the government. As part of it, the name of Shukkur Mahmud. President, National Workers League has been sent to the government.

‘We are hopeful that the board will be formed soon and consider the existing price hike of essential commodities, inflation and other issues related to living standard while proposing the new pay structure,’ he said.

“Labor leaders will sit together to finalize their demands once the board is formed” he added.

On the other hand, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association also sent the names of three leaders of the association. The leaders are BGMEA president Siddiqur Rahman, vice-president Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu and director Adnan Qureshi.

Meanwhile, IndustriALL Bangladesh Council has demanded inclusion of representative from their organization for ensuring representation of genuine workers.

Officials said that the ministry would finalize the names of the representatives of factory owners and workers for the board after getting the names from the Directorate of Labor.

Then, the ministry would issue gazette notification appointing them as members of the wage board.

The ministry initiated the move to review wages of RMG workers last month after getting a request from BGMEA to form the minimum wage board.

On November 8, the trade body sent a letter to the ministry requesting review of the existing wages of workers and formation of a minimum wage board to uplift the image of the sector at home and abroad.

The issue was discussed in the cabinet meeting on November 20 presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her Tejgaon office.

In December last year, many RMG workers in Ashulia rioted demanding Tk 16,000 as the minimum monthly wage for apparel workers instead of the existing Tk 5,300.

There are around 4,500 export-oriented RMG units with 44 lakh workers, mostly located in Dhaka, Ashulia, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Chittagong. These workers are eyeing on to the new formation of wage board and to the declaration of a healthy minimum wage with which they will be able to support themselves, their families and lead a better life as a whole.