Earlier a draft proposal with recommendation for three-tier pay package failed to get support from owners and workers.

The final proposal may also have seven grades like the draft proposal but there would be significant reduction of pay in the grades other than the seventh, sources said, adding that the final proposal is likely to be accepted by all the six members of the board.

Besides, there may be a marginal change in the pay offer of Tk 1,200 for the apprentice workers.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the board decided to make the final announcement today after reviewing more than 400 opinions and objections sent by factory owners and workers on the draft proposal. The draft was announced on September 12 and it was kept in circulation for 14 days for opinions and objections.

Around 30 organisations representing garment workers sent their opinions about the draft proposal urging the board to increase the minimum wage for the workers that would range between Tk 1,650 and Tk 1,800, sources said.

"In the face of severe opposition from the garment owners, there has been an understanding that instead of a three-tier proposal a single pay structure will be sent to the government for consideration," Zafrul Hasan, permanent representative of the workers on the board, said yesterday.

"After a hectic discussion among all parties, it has been agreed that a single pay structure will be finalised. We hope the final proposal will be acceptable to all," said a leader of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

Bangladesh Garment Sramik Karmachari Federation General Secretary Kamrul Ahsan said, "A chaotic situation has been going on for the last few months. As we would not like to see things deteriorate, we are trying to reach a stage where workers will get some benefits."

The wage board at its 25th meeting on September 12 announced a three-tier proposal to be implemented in three years with Tk 1,604 as gross minimum salary for the entry level workers in the first year.

Following a labour unrest in the country's premier export-earning garment sector, the government formed the wage board on May 31 and asked it to recommend a pay structure for the workers within three months. The minimum wage for workers in the RMG sector is now Tk 930, which was fixed about 12 years ago.

The government, garment factory owners and workers' leaders at a meeting on June 12 inked a 10-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) after a series of discussions and decided to implement the MoU in phases to address the unrest.