MONIRA MUNNI |
Published:
April 29, 2021, 10:47 a.m.

The government allowed two hours of overtime for the country’s export-oriented ready-to-wear (RMG) sector for six months amid the coronavirus pandemic, sources said.

According to labor law, a worker in a garment factory works eight hours a day and 48 hours a week.

Factories are allowed to require workers to work two hours of overtime per day on condition that they pay double wages for the period of overtime.

Now, an export-oriented garment factory can require its workers to work two hours of overtime or a total of four hours a day, the sources explained.

On April 13, the Ministry of Labor and Employment issued a circular to this effect, exempting the clothing sector from the labor law provisions of Articles 100, 102 and 105 relating to working hours and overtime. .

“The conditional six-month waiver will come into effect on April 17,” according to the circular.

It stipulates that workers should be paid double for overtime compared to normal working hours and no worker would be required to work overtime more than four hours a day.

Weekly vacation must be granted and no overtime can be worked if workers are unwilling to do the same, the circular added.

The eight-point condition also included compliance with the Covid-19 health and safety directive issued by relevant government authorities.

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