Wage justice should also be ensured for pvt sector

THE government’s decision to raise the salaries of public servants is understandable.

With the new pay structure increasing basic salaries by up to 142 per cent, many of the country’s 1.46 million government employees will finally receive some relief from the rising cost of living.

Yet the policy raises a fundamental question: what about the millions of workers including the journalists who are outside the government pay scale?

Bangladesh’s employment landscape is overwhelmingly informal. As per report published in The New Nation on Friday, around 5.80 crore, or 84 per cent, of the country’s 7.17 crore employed people work in the informal sector.

Millions more are employed in the private sector, where salaries are determined by individual employers rather than a national pay structure. For them, there is no automatic salary adjustment when inflation rises.

This disparity is becoming increasingly painful. Wage growth has consistently remained below inflation, while food, rent, transport, utilities, education and healthcare costs continue to rise.

Many private-sector workers who could once save a modest amount each month now struggle to meet basic household expenses.

There is also a legitimate concern that a large public-sector pay increase could add to inflationary pressure.

Higher disposable income among government employees could increase demand for essential goods, housing and transport.

If supply does not expand accordingly, prices could rise further, worsening the purchasing-power crisis faced by workers whose salaries remain stagnant.

The government must therefore avoid treating the new pay scale as an isolated administrative decision.

A substantial salary increase for public servants should be accompanied by a broader income-support strategy for private-sector and informal workers, while the long-standing demand for a 10th Wage Board for journalists should also be addressed.

The authorities should initiate a mechanism for regular review of private-sector wages, strengthen enforcement of minimum wage standards, expand social protection and provide targeted support to low-income households.

Labour-intensive industries must also receive measures that help them absorb reasonable wage increases without cutting jobs or closing factories.
The objective should not be to deny government employees a fair salary.

Rather, it should be to ensure that one group’s income improvement does not become another group’s inflationary burden.

A government committed to inclusive economic growth must look beyond its own payroll.

If public servants deserve protection from inflation, so do the millions whose labour keeps Bangladesh’s economy running.