Following the severe labour unrest in the country's premier export-earning garment sector, the government formed a minimum wage board on 31 May and asked it to recommend a pay structure for the workers within three months but the last meeting of the board held on August 29 ended without any decision.

Questioning the sincerity of the garment owners, leaders of different workers' organisations blamed them for ignoring the workers' interest.

"The owners are simply playing a game with us and dilly-dallying in settling the minimum wage for the workers. Labour unrest will recur if they don't resolve the issue within a couple of days," Nazma Akhter, who represents workers in the six-member board, told The Daily Star.

While the garment owners have stuck to their position of offering Tk 1,300 a month, the workers are demanding Tk 3,000 as the minimum wage.

The garment owners also declined to accept a compromise proposal placed by the wage board's independent member who recommended Tk 1,800 as the minimum basic wage for the workers and gross salary of about Tk 2,650 a month. Minimum wage for the workers is now Tk 950 that was fixed around 12 years ago.

Workers' leaders, however, have hinted that they are ready to accept a 'reasonable' offer.

Annisul Huq, representative of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in the wage board, said: "It is true that there is no substantial progress on the table. But it would be possible to settle the issue by mid-September."

The government, garment owners and workers' leaders at a tripartite meeting on 12 June 2006 inked a 10-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) after a series of discussions on May 24, June 1 and June 4 among the stakeholders in the garment sector and decided to implement those in phases to address the labour unrest, ensure labour rights and peaceful atmosphere in the factories.

Endorsing the wage board formed on May 31, the MoU set a one-month deadline for addressing nine other issues within one month.

The nine issues include giving appointment letters and identity cards to the workers, allowing them one day weekly holiday and other government holidays according to the existing labour laws.

As per the agreement, the female workers would get maternity leave with regular salary and an worker would be entitled to get overtime if he works more than eight hours a day.

The MoU included withdrawal of all the cases filed against the workers by the owners and not terminating any workers for involvement in the movement. The owners also agreed not to create any hindrance to formation of trade union in any factory.

"As per the MoU all the issues except fixing a minimum wage were supposed to be solved within a month but the garment owners did not do it," said Amirul Haque Amin, general secretary of Jatiya Garment Sramik Federation (JGSF).

"We are aggrieved and do not have any option but to start fresh agitation," Amin said, adding, "We will not be responsible if anything happens due to not implementing the deal in time."

The JGSF will hold a rally at Muktangon today to protest the role of the government and garment owners.

"We are going to take a series of agitation programmes from September 1 to protest the move of the garment owners and the role of the government in implementing the agreement," said Kamrul Ahsan, general secretary of Bangladesh Garment Sramik Karmachari Federation.

Expressing concern about the labour unrest, foreign buyers have said it has serious negative impact on Bangladesh's RMG sector.

"Buyers are not sure about what is going on in Bangladesh and what will happen here next week. It creates uncertainty and the buyers tend to shift to other countries," Arnd Bornemann, manager-Bangladesh operation of KarstadtQuelle said recently.