BGMEA to submit wage proposal Monday amid unrest

Representatives of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) are expected to attend the third meeting of the Minimum Wage Board on Monday to submit their wage proposal for garment workers.

According to a notice issued by the Minimum Wage Board under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the meeting is scheduled for 11am at the Department of Labour, located on the 19th floor of Shrom Bhaban in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area.

During the board’s second meeting on 9 November, workers’ representatives proposed a minimum monthly wage of Tk32,000. Employers’ representatives requested seven working days to present their counterproposal, though the board granted them four.

Previously, amid escalating protests at garment factories, BGMEA officials had indicated they might submit their proposal remotely rather than attend the session in person.

However, BGMEA Vice President Md Rezwan Selim told the Daily Sun on Sunday that they had decided to attend and submit their proposal.

He said at least 60 factories remained closed on Sunday due to worker protests in Gazipur, Ashulia and Savar.

Superintendent of Police of Industrial Police-1 Mominul Islam Bhuiyan said factory owners had kept at least 50 factories closed under Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act.

“The overall situation in the industrial areas is normal, and most workers are working peacefully,” he said.

Workers at five factories entered their workplaces but abstained from work, he added.

According to the Industrial Police, 36 garment factories were closed under Section 13(1) of the Labour Act, 14 were shut indefinitely and five were closed following verbal instructions.

Earlier on Saturday, the BGMEA and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) threatened factory lockouts from Sunday if workers continued to abstain from work.

At a joint press conference, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said ensuring workers’ return to work and maintaining factory security were the industry’s immediate priorities.

He said production had been disrupted for seven to 12 days at several factories, particularly in Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur.

Of 147 BGMEA-member factories unable to maintain full production, 55 in those areas had already been closed indefinitely under Section 13(1), while operations at the remaining 92 were disrupted by worker protests.

“If the situation continues, the country’s leading export-earning sector could face a major crisis,” he warned.

The BGMEA president alleged that a small group of workers, influenced by outside groups, was creating disorder inside factories and preventing others from working.

“A certain group is engaged in an attempt to create a chaotic situation in this industry,” he said.

He claimed most workers wanted to return to work peacefully, while the continuing unrest was damaging the industry’s international reputation and the national economy.

Both BGMEA and BKMEA urged the government to take swift and effective measures to restore law and order in the affected industrial zones.