Bangladesh recently announced Tk 10,001 ($91.06) as the gross monthly minimum wage for cotton textile sector workers and employees. That figure was Tk 5,710 ($51.99) earlier, set in 2018. Ten worker grades have been incorporated in the new wage structure.

The labour ministry issued a gazette notification announcing the new wage structure, which will be effective from March 1 this year.

The amount includes basic pay Tk 5,162 for town areas in sub-districts, 55 per cent of the basic pay (Tk 2,839) as house rent, Tk 750 as medical allowance, Tk 400 as travel allowance and Tk 850 as food allowance.
Grade 10 workers in the district towns and divisional cities would receive house rents at the rate of 60 per cent and 70 per cent respectively of the basic pay.

The labour ministry reduced the rate of the house rent and slightly increased the basic pay from the proposal of wage board, but kept the gross amount unchanged.

The government has set the monthly minimum wage for workers in grade 10 at Tk 10,001, grade 9 at Tk 10,417, grade 8 at Tk 10,643, grade 7 at Tk 10,962, grade 6 at Tk 11,250, grade 5 at Tk 11,570, grade 4 at Tk 11,889, grade 3 at Tk 12,723, grade 2 at Tk 13,250 and grade 1 at Tk 14,307.

The government has also incorporated six grades for employees in the sector and set the same amount (Tk 10,001) as minimum pay for a grade 6 employee, domestic media outlets reported.

The wages set for the employees in grades 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 are Tk 10,547, Tk 11,378, Tk 13,250, Tk 15,361 and Tk 18,545 respectively.