All the six members of the board signed the final recommendation, which will be sent to the government on the next working day.

The board yesterday announced two separate pay structures for the garment workers and the employees.

There are seven grades for the workers and four grades for the employees. Minimum wage for grade one workers will be a total of Tk 5,140 including basic salary, house rent and allowances, Tk 3,840 for grade two, Tk 2,449 for grade three and Tk 2,250 for grade four, Tk 2,046 for grade five and Tk 1,851 for grade six.

Total monthly wage for apprentice workers will be Tk 1,200.

Minimum wage for grade one employees will be Tk 3,580 including basic salary, house rent and allowances, Tk 2,800 for grade two, Tk 2,449 for grade three and Tk 1,851 for grade four.

The board announced a three-tier draft proposal on September 12 but finally backtracked in the face of severe opposition from the garment owners.

"This time we have reached a consensus for the minimum wages for the garment workers and employees. We considered the final pay structure as reasonable in view of the workers' demand and the owners' ability," said Anwarul Haque, chairman of the government-formed Minimum Wage Board, at the end of six-hour meeting at its office yesterday.

After announcing the draft proposal, the board received more than 400 opinions and objections and prepared the final recommendation taking those into account, he added.

"It will be very difficult for the owners to pay Tk 1,662.50 for the seventh grade and minimum wages in other grades for the workers. We have agreed despite all limitations," said Annisul Huq, representative of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on the board, after finalising the draft.

Around 95 per cent leaders of different workers' organisations in the RMG sector expressed their opinions favouring a minimum wage that would range between Tk 1,650 and Tk 1,800 although they were demanding Tk 3,000 earlier, he said.

Asked, whether BGMEA leaders managed the leaders of different organisations through bribing, Huq said it is just a rumour.

"The final recommendation did not protect the interest of the workers. But as there would be uncertainty about the wages for the workers, I accepted the final draft after a hard negotiation," Zafrul Hasan, permanent representative of the workers on the board, said.

The owners are relatively in an advantageous position, he said, adding that if the board failed to make a final recommendation the workers' interest would have been seriously affected in the long run.

Nazma Akhtar, representative of the garment workers on the board, who had earlier declined to sign the draft proposal on September 12, said around 40 organisations including several big ones supported the minimum salary ranging between Tk 1,650 and Tk 1,800 and that is why she did not have any option.

Neutral member Iqbal Ahmed and permanent member of the employers on the board Kazi Saifuddin Ahmed also took part in yesterday's meeting.

Following serious 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.

Meanwhile, Garments Sramik Sangram Parishad, an alliance of 11 organisations of garment workers, strongly opposed the final recommendation immediately after its announcement.

Terming the final recommendation 'unrealistic' and 'a betrayal' with the garment workers, Roy Ramesh Chandra, general secretary of Jatiya Sramik League, said it is a farce as the minimum wage for the workers of the state-owned enterprises is Tk 2,450 but export-oriented garment industry will give a basic salary of Tk 1,100 only.