Government gazette on the wage board-recommended Tk 12,500 as minimum pay for entry-level garment workers has been published although labour unrest on demand for doubling the amount continued.

The gazette notification on the minimum wage has been issued as per the Bangladesh Labour Law 2006.

The gazette on the new pay was issued just 5 days after a meeting of the government-formed wage board had recommended a 56.6-per cent hike in the existing pay of Tk 8000, declared in 2018.

On November 7, state minister for labour Monnujan Sufian at a press conference declared the Tk 12,500 minimum monthly wage for an entrant.

A good numbers of labour organisations are planned to raise official objections against the Tk 12,500 minimum pay on Sunday, renewing their demand for Tk 23,000 to 25,000.

Workers and their representing organisations have been staging protests for one year on demand for a pay hike following rocketing livelihood expenditure.

On the other hand, a total of four workers died in last two weeks in the garment hubs in clashes with law enforcers.

The new minimum wage for fifth grade (lowest grade) includes a basic pay of 6700 from Tk 4,100. It includes Tk 3350 as house rent which is now Tk 2,050. The 5.0-per cent annual increment has been declared like that of last wage.

The package also includes Tk 750 as medical allowance from Tk 600, Tk 450 as transport allowance from Tk 350 and Tk 1250 as food subsidies against Tk 900 now. The new wage has mentioned five grades which was six previously.