Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Executive Director Dr Nazneen Ahmed on Friday stressed the need to consider three key factors – the cost of living, workers’ livelihood needs and employers’ capacity – while fixing the minimum wages for apparel workers.
“While determining minimum wages, the cost of living, workers’ livelihood needs and the capacity of employers must also be taken into consideration,” she said.
Dr Nazneen made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a shadow parliament (a debate competition) over the ways to resolve instability in the apparel sector organised by Debate for Democracy at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) in the city.
The CPD Executive Director said increasing wages alone would not ensure the protection of garment workers’ interests. Alongside fair wages, factories must ensure a healthy working environment, workers’ rights, maternity leave and an overall supportive workplace structure.
“Employers, workers and the government should sit together and determine the wage structure through discussions and consultations,” she said.
Dr Nazneen said the recent instability might have been avoided if the wage board had been formed earlier.
She warned that any unrest undermines buyers’ confidence, saying that the long-term relationships with international buyers could deteriorate if factories closed due to labour unrest failed to deliver their existing orders on time.
“Fair wages and a better working environment can never be ensured through violence,” she said.
If any quarter was instigating unrest to create instability, all concerned parties, including employers, workers, law enforcement agencies and the government, should take coordinated initiatives to address the situation, said Dr Nazneen.
Debate for Democracy Chairman Hassan Ahamed Chowdhury Kiron, in his presidential address, said the situation in the RMG sector had improved to some extent following protests, clashes, road blockades and vandalism by garment workers over their five-point demands, including wage increases, but stability had yet to return.
“Under these circumstances, Bangladesh’s image in the international market is being tarnished and the risk of losing the confidence of foreign buyers is increasing. This will lead to a decline in exports,” he said.
He warned that the apparel sector would face serious challenges if the instability continued, stressing that a rational wage structure, a safe working environment and social protection were all essential to ensuring stability in the sector.
Kiron described the government's plan to construct six 100-bed hospitals in six major industrial areas to ensure healthcare services for workers as a highly positive and worker-friendly initiative.
“Any attempt to create sabotage by disguising oneself as a worker for political gain should be dealt with firmly,” he said.
The shadow parliament, titled “ensuring a safe working environment and social protection is more important than wage increases for stability in the apparel sector”, was contested by Dhaka College and Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT). BUBT defeated Dhaka College, said a press release.
Trophies, crests and certificates were distributed among the participating teams after the competition.