Apparel Online India Magazine February 1st Issue 2019 | Page 52

BEYOND INDIA
Bangladesh amends wage structure amidst
RMG workers' protest
The ongoing apparel workers’
agitation in Bangladesh following
some alleged discrepancies in
the wage structure of the new
minimum wage board has led the
Bangladesh Government to look
into the workers’ demands and
hike wage in six grades while
leaving the minimum monthly pay
unchanged at Taka 8,000. The
decision to this end was taken
after a tripartite meeting involving
the stakeholders in capital city
Dhaka recently.
“The revised wage board is
effective from December 1, 2018
and will be adjusted from February
this year,” maintained Commerce
Minister Tipu Munshi after the
meeting while underlining that the
gazette on the revised wage board
will be published within a week.
“Most of the workers do not want
vandalism. They want to work. I
hope they will join work peacefully,”
said Munshi, who is also a Former
President of the apex garment
exporters’ body Bangladesh
Garment Manufacturers and
Exporters Association (BGMEA).
It may be mentioned here that
the Government recently formed
a tripartite committee headed by
Labour and Employment Secretary
Afroza Khan to review the wage
board after days of worker unrest.
Commerce Secretary Md Mofizul
Islam, five workers’ representatives
and the same number of factory
owners are reportedly the members
of this committee. “We were told
to discuss the grades three, four
and five after the recent meeting…
Today, in discussion with both the
owners and workers, a question
was raised as to why we should
drop grade six from the revision.
That’s why we’ve readjusted six
grades,” reportedly maintained the
Commerce Minister.
Turkish industry aims to increase exports by
10 per cent in 2019
The Turkish garment and textile
industry aims to enhance its
exports by 10 per cent in 2019
to reach US $ 29 billion mark.
This was announced by Ismail
Gülle, Chairman, Turkish
Exporters Assembly (TIM)
while talking to a news agency.
52 Apparel Online India |
Reportedly, according to TIM
data, the textile and clothing
industry exports increased by
3.8 per cent in 2018 to clock US
$ 26.1 billion. The Chairman
added that the 2018 figure was
much short of industry’s true
potential. However, he was
confident that Turkey’s textile
and clothing industry will turn
their currency advantage into an
opportunity in 2019. “Instead of
contract manufacturing, Turkish
brands will help us achieve the
target,” substantiated Gülle. It
is important to note here that
FEBRUARY 1-15, 2019 | www.apparelresources.com
500 stores showcasing Turkish
brands will be launched across
the globe in 2019. Turkey, which
is at present the seventh biggest
textile and garment exporter in
the world, is aiming to become one
among the top five exporters of
the world by increasing its stake
to 5 per cent of the world market.
“Our textile exports to the US and
Africa, along with the EU, rose
last year,” reasoned Ahmet Öksüz,
Head, Istanbul Textile and Raw
Materials Exporters Association.
He further said that in addition
to focusing on US, Africa and
the Far East, the country will
ensure projects are carried out
for Japanese and South Korean
markets as well. The country also
hopes its apparel sector exports
will increase by 10 per cent
on a yearly basis in 2019, with
continual focus on US, Russian,
the Middle East and North African
markets.