The High Court has delivered order to provide salary for the government primary school headmasters under 10th grade and also to provide the gazetted rank. The High Court bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Khizir Ahmed Chowdhury delivered the verdict after completion of hearing of a rule in this regard. Advocate Salauddin Dolon took part in the hearing for the writ petitioner before the court. There are 65 thousand 59 headmaster posts and around 50 thousand people are serving the posts. The court ordered to implement the direction from March 9, 2014 for the trained and untrained headmasters. After declaring the verdict lawyer Salauddin Dolon said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina elevated the job of headmasters to second class on March 9, 2014 and the Primary and Mass Education Ministry issued a gazette notification on the same day over it.  But the ministry fixed the salary for headmasters under 11th grade (trained) and 12th grade (untrained). But the second class officers in other ministries and departments are being paid salaries under 10th grade. Challenging the legality of this decision 45 people including headmaster of Gandaria Mahila Samity Government Primary School and president of Bangladesh Government Primary School Headmasters Association Riaz Parvez filed the writ petition with High Court. After the hearing the High court issued rule on March 5 last year. After final hearing of that rule the High Court delivered the verdict on Monday. AH      

The garment workers have started the protest again on the roads on Monday rejecting the government's revised salary structure. Workers from at least 10 garment factories took to Savar-Tongi-Ashulia highway and blocked the road for an hour. Later, the police rushed to the spot and dispersed the workers to bring the situation under control. Under the circumstances, authorities have announced more than 100 factories in Ashulia shutdown. Contacted, Ashulia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sheikh Rezaul Haque Dipu said the workers tried to blockade the road around 9am. On information, police rushed to the spot and removed the unruly workers from the road, he said, adding that the situation is now under the control of the police. Additional policemen have been deployed in front of all the factories to avert any untoward situation, he added. Despite taking decision on revising basic salary structure, the workers went to the streets just after joining the offices in the morning and they started protest at Jamgara area of ​​Tongi-Ashulia highway. Later the police dispersed them. Following the situation, the authorities declared the factories shutdown. One of the main demands of the workers' was to increase basics of grades 3, 4 and 5 as bonus, overtime and other benefits increase according to basic structure. In the new wage structure, basic salaries were not increased as per the increase rate of rent, treatment and other allowances, they claimed. Soon after getting the salary in January, the workers took to the streets demanding revision of the new salary structure. In the wake of labour unrest in different parts of the city, the government has formed a tripartite committee comprising workers, owners and government officials. In the third meeting of the committee, the decision was taken to revise basic wage from first to sixth grade. As per the revised basic salary, Tk 10,938 has been set for the first grade while it was Tk 10,440. Similarly, the increase in the second grade is Tk 9,044 from Tk 8,2 20 while the third grade salary has been increased Tk 5,330 from Tk 5,160. The basic of the 4th grade is Tk 4,930 which was Tk4,850 and Tk 5,505 has been fixed in the fifth grade from Tk 4,670 Only Tk 10 has been increased in the sixth grade which is now a total Tk 4,380. The basic salary of seventh grade has been fixed at Tk 4,100. MHK

As a result of ongoing movement of garment workers and following consensus of all associated the government has decided to adjust the wage in number 3, 4 and 5 grades for interest of the workers. The revised wage structure will be showed active from December last and will be adjusted with the salaries of workers from next February. State Minister of Labor and Employment Munnujan Sufian announced the wage structure at the conference room of the ministry on Sunday afternoon. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Labor and Employment Secretary Afroza Khan and others concerned were present at that time. After the adjustment in wage structure, in the first grade the salary increases by 5 thousand 257 taka and stands at 18 thousand 257 taka, in second grade it increases by 4 thousand 516 taka and stands at 15 thousand 416 taka, I third grade it increases by 3 thousand 40 taka and stands at 9 thousand 845 taka. Besides, in fourth grade the salary increases by 2 thousand 927 taka and stands at 9 thousand 347 taka, in fifth grade it increases by 2 thousand 833 taka and stands at 8 thousand 875 taka, in sixth grade it increases by 2 thousand 742 taka and stands at 8 thousand 420 taka. In the seventh grade the salary is kept at eight thousand taka like it was mentioned the gazette. In the declared wage structure of 2013 the lowest grade salary was 5 thousand 300 taka. After the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to increase wages of apparel workers in a logical rate, the decision was taken by the ministry of labor and employment. In this way, following the final decision salaries for the workers have increased in six grades out of seven grades. AH

Branches of commercial banks to remain open on Saturday (August 18) to facilitate payment of salary, bonus and other allowances for the workers and officials of Ready Made Garments (RMG) industries. Bangladesh Bank delivered the information on Tuesday over a notification. The direction was sent to all the Chief Executives of commercial banks of the country. The notice said, direction has been given to take proper measures to keep banks full day open on August 18, 2018 after ensuring security. To facilitate payment of salaries and other allowances for the workers of garments industries before Eid-ul-Azha and to keep export business active the branches of commercial banks in Dhaka metropolitan area, Ashulia, Tongi, Gazipur, Savar, Bhaluka, Narayanganj and Chattogram will remain open. AH