The recent formation of a five-member wage board by the Government to determine a new minimum salary for tannery workers in Bangladesh has drawn criticism from industry sources, as it allegedly lacks representation from the workers themselves.
Industry insiders also claim that the previous wage board, officially gazetted in 2018, has not been put into effect.
Tannery workers play a crucial role in supplying a primary raw material for the leather and leather goods industry, which stands as the country’s second-highest export earner after the garments sector.
Abul Kalam Azad, President of the Tannery Workers’ Union (TWU), expressed concern over the absence of worker representation in the newly formed committee, pointing out that it also includes an individual unrelated to the industry.
In response to this situation, Azad called on the government to reconsider the composition of the wage board established on August 1, 2023, and advocated for the inclusion of a representative from the Tannery Workers’ Union.