Minimum Wage Board 2013

Publishes Gazette; Basic

Salary Go Don !
Posted on November 22, 2013 by Research Initiative for Social Equity Society RISE Society ! "
#omments
$he lon% a&aited %arment minimum &a%e 2013 %a'ette has (nally been )ublished by
the *inimum +a%e ,oard on 21 November 2013- $his shall be a))licable from 1
.ecember 2013 in all the %arment factories &ithin the territory of ,an%ladesh-
/midst some of the bi%%est &or0er movements and unrest in the history of this South
/sian Nation in &hich )recious lives have been lost and hundreds in1ured, the &a%e
board )ublished the %a'ette not only declarin% "300,.$ as the minimum &a%e-
Previously, &or0ers have been )rotestin% a%ainst this )ro)osed minimum &a%e, the lo&
basic salary increase in the minimum &a%e, and a &ea0 increase in the o)erator2s
&a%e- 3o&ever, in its (nal )ublication the basic salary have been seen cut do&n by
200,.$ to 3000,.$ &hich &ould also mean lo&er overtime income 4as overtime
de)ends on basic salary5 for the &or0ers of a sector &here overtime often climbs u) and
beyond every le%al limits-
/lthou%h the &or0er federation leaders of ,an%ladesh a%reed &ith the ,6*E/ not to
ta0e )art or su))ort any )rotests or movements in favor of 7000,.$ as the minimum
&a%e or the )ro)ortionate increase in the &or0er2s salary, they still informed the media
that they &ill ho&ever lod%e a su%%estion to the minimum &a%e board to revise their
decision in the interest of the &or0ers and their demands- *ean&hile, ordinary &or0ers
have been on the streets since the &a%e board 2013 &as formed and till no& after its
10th meetin% decided the fate of more than 8 million lives and millions more of their
de)endents-
/s )er the &a%e board )ro)osal, a &or0er, &ho &ill 1oin the 1ob as an a))rentice, shall
be a))ointed as an assistant o)erator after si9 months and &ill be entitled for a )ay
)ac0a%e of "300,.$ &ith 3000,.$ as basic )ay under %rade:- Senior o)erators &ho
are in the %rade3 cate%ory &ill %et ;7"0,.$, &hich includes 80:",.$ basic )ay, as the
ma9imum &a%e amon% the &or0ers- In thus construction, the )revious draft has been
chan%ed &here 3200,.$ &as )ro)osed to be the minimum basic salary of the %rade:
&or0er and 8"<2,.$ &as decided for the %rade3 &or0er-
/ ne& addition &as the "= annual increment over basic &a%e for every &or0er until the
formation of another &a%es board for the %arment sector- In a country &here in>ation is
over :-13 )ercent, ho& this &ill hel) the &or0ers co)e &ith risin% )rices is still a
mystery- *oreover, this increment can only a?ect the basic and not any other cost,
&hich of course, is also sub1ected to in>ation-
/n e9)lanation of the &or0er %rades and their meanin% in the %arment sector of
,an%ladesh is %iven belo&@
6rade1 +or0er@ $he lo&er middle mana%ement sta?s li0e Pattern *aster,
#hief A#, #hief #uttin% *aster, #hief *echanic etc-
6rade2 +or0er@ Su)ervisory sta?s li0e *echanicBElectrician and #uttin%
master etc-
6rade3 +or0er@ Senior &or0ers li0e Sr- Se&in% machine o)erator, Sr- Cnittin%
machine o)erator, Sr- Auality Ins)ector, Sr- ,utton machine o)erator etc-
6rade8 +or0er@ E9)erienced &or0ers li0e Se&in% machine o)erator, +indin%
machine D)erator, Cnittin% machine D)erator, *ar0er man, )ac0er, Auality
Ins)ector, Eine leader etc-
6rade" +or0er@ Funior &or0ers li0e Fr- Se&in% machine o)erator, Fr- Cnittin%
machine o)erator, Fr- *ar0er man, Fr- Electrician, Fr- Pac0er etc-
6rade; +or0er@ Non e9)erienced &or0er li0e Se&in% machine o)erator,
+indin% machine D)erator, Gusin% machine o)erator, Dverloc0 machine o)erator etc
6rade: +or0er@ /ssistant &or0ers li0e /ssist- Se&in% *achine D)erator,
/ssist- Cnittin% *achine D)erator, /ssist- *ar0er *an etc- Normally called H3el)ersI-