The Bangladesh Tannery Workers Union (TWU) has called for the declaration of a minimum wage of Tk25,000 for tannery sector workers, according to reports in the Bangladeshi media.
The proposal is based on the Anker Methodology, which ensures that the wage recommendation is realistic and aligned with global standards. The Bangladesh tannery worker minimum wage recommendation is also supported by several national and international frameworks.
The TWU call comes almost a year after the first meeting of the minimum wage board and a subsequent lack of progress in setting a new minimum wage for tannery workers.
It was reported that the TWU expressed concern over the delay in announcement of a new wage structure, “attributing it to the negligence of tannery industry owners”. They said the delay was detrimental to the industry’s stability and welfare and exacerbated the poor financial conditions faced by tannery workers. Many workers are in debt, struggling with rising living costs, and are unable to afford basic necessities such as food, shelter, and medical treatment.
The TWU general secretary Abdul Malek revealed that the current Bangladesh tannery worker minimum wage set in 2018 was Tk13,500, which increased by 5% annually, reaching Tk17,548 in 2024. Any negotiation below this amount would be against the law.
The announcement of the TWU figure follows the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) think tank recommended a monthly wage of Tk22,776 ($194.66) earlier in the year.
The CPD said its proposal for the 2024 minimum wage was grounded in a “comprehensive analysis of various factors such as food costs, non-food expenses, family size, and the number of income earners”.
A CPD survey of tannery workers revealed that a worker’s food and non-food expenses stood at a combined Tk33,478 per month.
Its proposals emerged at a media briefing titled Determination of New Minimum Wage of Tannery Industry: Challenges of Implementation?
