The government has announced a long-awaited wage hike for cold storage workers after 12 years, raising the minimum monthly pay to Tk 14,000.

The last review of minimum wages in the sector took place in 2012 when the gross minimum monthly pay was set at Tk 6,050.

The labour ministry on December 5 announced the new wage structure for the cold storage workers through a gazette notification.

According to the gazette notification, the ministry incorporated four grades and a provision of 5 per cent yearly increment in the new structure.

The wage for Grade-IV workers has been set at Tk 14,000 that includes Tk 8,400 as basic pay, 50 per cent of the basic pay as house rent, Tk 800 as medical allowance and Tk 600 as travel allowance.

For Grade-III workers, the wage has been set at Tk 19,400 as minimum monthly wage that includes Tk 12,000 as basic pay, 50 per cent of the basic pay as house rent, Tk 800 as medical allowance and Tk 600 as travel allowance.

The wage for Grade-II workers has been set at Tk 20,264 that includes Tk 12,576 as basic pay, 50 per cent of the basic pay as house rent, Tk 800 as medical allowance and Tk 600 as travel allowance.

For Grade-I workers, the wage has been set at Tk 21,350 as minimum monthly wage that includes Tk 13,300 as basic pay, 50 per cent of the basic pay as house rent, Tk 800 as medical allowance and Tk 600 as travel allowance.

The labour ministry has also set Tk 9,800 as monthly gross pay for apprentice workers with the provision of a six-month apprenticeship.

Sector people said that in the country there were 370 cold storages which employed nearly 6,000 people.

The ministry on January 25, 2021 formed the wage board for the workers of cold storage sector through appointing owners and workers’ representatives to the board.

The board published a draft proposal recommending a minimum monthly pay of Tk 14,000 for the sector’s workers in a gazette notification on September 12, seeking written objections or suggestions, if any, on the recommendation from the stakeholders in 14 days.

The wage board consists of a chairman, an independent member, a permanent representative each from the employers and workers and a temporary representative each from the employers and workers. The labour ministry appoints the workers’ and employers’ representatives from the respective industry for recommending the minimum wage.

After getting final recommendation from the minimum wage board, the labour ministry announced the new wage structure for the cold storage workers.