Garment factory owners have urged workers to suspend their ongoing protests and return to work to keep production running, following the formation of a new wage board to determine the minimum wages of garment workers. They called on workers to wait for the board’s final decision.

They said the issue of increasing workers’ wages and benefits should be resolved through the established process, taking into account both workers’ interests and the financial capacity of industrial establishments.

Former BKMEA president and administrator of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Fazlul Hoque, said the issue of wage and benefit increases should be settled through a systematic process. He urged all concerned to remain patient until the wage board reaches its final decision.

Fazlul Hoque said there had previously been a provision for reviewing the wage board every five years. When the last wage board was formed in 2021, a mandatory annual wage increment of 5 per cent was decided for five years. Later, the interim government reduced the period from five years to three and raised the annual increment from 5 per cent to 9 per cent. Despite the challenging circumstances at the time, factory owners accepted the decision, which was favourable to workers.

Noting that the three-year period is due to end next January, he said wage increases should be settled through the prescribed process rather than demonstrations or protests. He stressed the need to wait for the wage board’s final decision.

Emphasising the need to consider the financial capacity of industrial establishments alongside workers’ demands, Fazlul Hoque said it was not enough simply to demand higher wages; the industry’s ability to bear the additional costs must also be assessed.

Expressing respect for workers’ hardships, he said all problems should be resolved through established procedures. The government-formed wage board includes two representatives each from the workers’ and employers’ sides, along with government representatives. Therefore, all concerned should have confidence in the board’s decision, he added.

Regarding the number of factories that have been closed, Fazlul Hoque said varying figures were being reported. However, he noted that sporadic demonstrations in the Uttara area had indicated signs of worker unrest eight to 10 days earlier. He called on all concerned to act with patience and responsibility to restore normalcy, saying that waiting for the wage board’s decision was the most appropriate course of action at this stage.

Meanwhile, Fazle Shamim Ehsan, executive president of the current BKMEA committee and president of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation, said the government had formed a wage board to determine workers’ pay. He stressed the need to identify the actual reasons behind the ongoing protests and resolve the situation through discussions and coordination among the concerned parties.

He said it was important to clearly understand the workers’ demands and the reasons behind the protests following the formation of the wage board. Both the government and all other stakeholders must play responsible roles in this regard, he added.

He also emphasised coordinated initiatives by the relevant agencies to identify the root causes of worker unrest and maintain a normal working environment in industrial areas.
BSS