Workers in different export sectors except readymade garments in the country earn minimum wages ranging from Tk 6,700 to Tk 8,050, a level that labour rights advocates deem inadequate and insufficient to meet basic living costs.

They also said that even the minimum wage set for the RMG sector in the latest wage revision was very low considering a sharp increase in commodity prices in the country.

Labour rights activists also termed the wage structures among workers in different sectors of export-oriented industries discriminatory and demanded elimination of the discrimination and establishing fair wages amid rising living costs.

In 2023, the government reviewed the minimum wage for workers in the RMG sector, Bangladesh’s highest export-earning industry, raising it to Tk 12,500 amid protests from workers who were demanding a monthly minimum wage of Tk 23,000.

Previously, the minimum wage for RMG workers was Tk 8,000, which had been set in 2018.

Although the leather and jute industries ranked as the second and third highest export-earning sectors in Bangladesh, workers in these sectors have been struggling to meet their living costs due to low wages.

‘First of all, the minimum wages for workers in some of the export-oriented non-RMG sector are extremely low and secondly, minimum wage amounts across different sectors is discriminatory,’ Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, executive director of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, told New Age on Sunday.

He said that establishing a national minimum wage standard along with regular adjustments to amounts for the rising cost of living could improve workers’ condition.

Sultan also stressed the importance of timely payment of wages, saying that such measures could alleviate the challenges workers face and promote a more equitable and sustainable work environment.

Referring to the recent labour unrest in various sectors, including RMG and pharmaceuticals, he stated that low wages and lack of timely payment were the primary reasons for the unrest.

In 2020, the government reviewed wages for the leather products and footwear sector, establishing a minimum wage of Tk 7,100.

In 2022, the minimum wage for workers in privately owned jute mills was set at Tk 8,000.

The wages for workers in the pharmaceuticals sector were last reviewed in 2017, with Tk 8,050 set as the minimum monthly pay.

According to the labour ministry, negotiations for a further review of wages in the pharmaceuticals sector are ongoing in the minimum wage board, as the last revision in this sector occurred nearly seven years ago.

In 2022, the minimum monthly wage for workers in the shrimp industry was raised to Tk 6,700, from the previous wage of Tk 4,410 that had been set in 2015.

The last review of minimum wages for tea garden workers took place in 2022, setting the daily wage at Tk 170.

This decision was made amid heavy protests from tea workers, who argued that the wage was insufficient to cover their basic living expenses.

Trade Union Centre general secretary Wajed-ul Islam Khan said that establishing a permanent wage commission for all the sectors could be the solution to the existing discriminatory wage setting process.

‘We have been advocating for a national minimum wage standard for a long time to ensure that no worker or employee is deprived of a legal minimum wage, yet the government remains reluctant to address this issue,’ he said.

He said that while workers in the readymade garment sector received a minimum wage of Tk 12,500, those in other sectors were earning significantly less, with some receiving only Tk 7,000 to Tk 8,000 as their lowest wage.

This disparity raises concerns about fairness and equity in wage distribution across different industries, Wajed said.

He mentioned that the stark contrast in wages highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive review of wage policies to ensure that all workers receive a fair amount that reflects their contributions and the rising cost of living.

He also raised concerns about the representation of workers on the existing wage board, saying that the government often appointed individuals loyal to it.

Consequently, the worker interests were often overlooked during wage negotiations.

Former Bangladesh Tea Workers Association general secretary Rambhajan Koiri observed that the wages of tea garden workers were significantly lower than those in other industrial sectors.

He said that tea garden workers staged demonstrations in August 2022 for a higher wage as a revision of their wage for 2021–22 was pending.

Following the movement, the government raised their wage to Tk 170 a day from Tk 120.

Rambhajan claimed that according to a contract signed between tea garden owners and the workers’ union, wages are supposed to be revised every two years and the most recent revision, which set the minimum wage at Tk 170 a day, was made for 2021-22.

He said that the wage revision for 2023-24 remained overdue, with the workers’ union proposing a daily minimum wage of Tk 350 but, the wage board and the owners were trying to keep the wage unchanged.