Tk12,800 minimum wage finalized for EPZ workers

A minimum monthly wage of Tk 12,800 has been finalized for the workers of the EPZs run under the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA).

The wage board finalized the wage in it's the 5th meeting on Thursday, according to a press release.

The workers of EPZ will get minimum wage of Tk 12,800, including a basic salary of Tk 6,950, 50 per cent of basic (Tk 3,475) as house rent and Tk 2,375 as medical allowance.

Besides, the workers will get food or food allowance and transport or transport allowance in addition to the gross wage and this benefit would be maintained in the current wage structure as it was earlier.

Under the Section 65 of the 'Bangladesh EPZ Labor Act 2019', the government constituted a Wage Board on 9 November 2023 with 11 members from the Prime Minister' Office, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Finance, and representatives of owners & workers of EPZ enterprises headed by the Executive Chairman of BEPZA.

In the first meeting of the Wage Board seven more members were co-opted including three owners' representatives and three workers' representatives.

The Wage Board met in a total four meetings and unanimously recommended a minimum wage of Tk 12,800.

Recommended draft wage was published in gazette notification on 7 December 2023.

The current minimum gross wage (except food and transport allowance) of an EPZ worker is Tk 8,200 which was fixed in 2018. In the new structure, the minimum wage of EPZ workers has been increased by 56.25 per cent.

Mentionable that, currently 450 industries are in operation in 8 EPZs located at different parts of the country including BEPZA Economic Zone at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar, Mirsharai, Chattogram.

Till November 2023, investors from 37 countries have invested US$ 6.6 billion. The goods worth of US$ 107 billion so far exported from the EPZs.

/KN/