Published: 12:05 AM, 05 November 2026
RMG workers' new pay scale to take effect from December 1
Members of the Wage Board have said that a new wage structure for workers is set to come into effect from December 1. Workers will receive their salaries at the new rates starting in January.
The announcement was made by representatives of both employers and workers after the first meeting of the Eighth Minimum Wage Board, formed for workers in the readymade garment (RMG) industry, at the office of the Minimum Wage Board in Segun Bagicha on Wednesday.
The Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported the news.
However, the new wage structure has not yet been finalized.
At the meeting, worker representative Babul Akhtar, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, said that both the workers' and employers' representatives had reached an agreement that the new wages would take effect from December 1 and that workers would receive the revised amount in January along with their December salaries. He said there was no disagreement between the two sides on this issue.
He said the workers' representatives would submit a written proposal at the next meeting. He also called on all workers' organizations to work together to prepare a reasonable wage proposal and present it to the board.
Employer representative A B M Shamsuddin, a director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), also confirmed that both sides had agreed to complete the process of determining the new wages by December.
The meeting was chaired by Minimum Wage Board Chairman Syed Azad Subhani. He said that a six-month timeframe is generally allocated for determining minimum wages in an industrial sector. However, the current government had formed the board within a short time. He expressed hope that recommendations could be prepared and submitted to the government within the stipulated timeframe.
At the meeting, workers' representatives also raised various issues concerning workers, beyond wages. These included the implementation of labour laws, trade union rights, leave entitlements and ensuring other benefits and facilities. They urged the government to take steps to address these problems gradually.
Worker leader Babul Akhtar also urged the relevant authorities not to take harassing measures against labour leaders, to release arrested workers and labour leaders, and to refrain from any form of torture or abuse against them.
The government formed a six-member board on November 1 to determine new minimum wages for workers in the readymade garment industry. The initiative came following labour unrest in several industrial areas over workers' demands for higher wages.
