THE absence of a national minimum wage continues to widen wage gaps between labour sectors, forcing a majority of workers to live below the poverty threshold. The labour reforms commission report that has been submitted recently shows that at least 22 sectors continue to pay workers much less than what is needed to meet the basic needs. The commission, which has used the purchasing power parity metrics, reports that anyone earning less than Tk 7,869 a month officially lives below the poverty line by international standards. The sectors where the official minimum wage is below the poverty line include, among others, filling stations and privately-owned industrial establishments. Industrial sectors, including apparel, printing press or pharmaceuticals units which pay above the threshold, also do not pay a living wage. Informal sectors that employ 85 per cent of the workers are yet to be brought under the wage board purview. Against this backdrop, the institution of a national minimum wage board is urgently needed to end economic exploitation of workers.
The labour law stipulates that the minimum wages for industrial sectors covered under the minimum wages board should be revised every five years. However, the board, as the reforms commission says, has failed to update wages in at least 18 sectors, with some left untouched for as long as 42 years. The last wage revision for filling station workers has not had an update since 1987. In the apparel sector, which goes through more frequent reviews, workers complain that wage negotiation excludes their true representation as the government seems to serve the interests of industry owners. The demand for a permanent minimum wage board should, therefore, be met, provisioning rules to ensure worker representation and to prevent undue influence of owners. In addition to a living wage, the overall worker well-being should also be ensured with access to health, child care and guaranteed workplace safety. The recent death of an apparel worker in the Chattogram export processing zone after being denied sick leave shows the fatal indifference of the factory management towards worker鈥檚 well-being. Legally unprotected domestic or construction workers are even more vulnerable to economic exploitation and other forms of physical violence.
The government expressed interests in democratic reforms and should, therefore, seriously consider the issue of wage discrimination and institute a permanent national wage commission to review the wage structure in the formal and informal sectors and take a stand against the poverty wage structure, which has almost become the norm. The government should also review the labour law to bring the informal sector under its legal purview.