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Mass Business Shutdowns Spark Nationwide Alarm

Volkswagen reclaims Germany's electric car crown from Tesla

German auto manufacturer Volkswagen (VW) edged past its US rival Tesla in electric car sales in the first seven months of the year, according to newly released figures. The electric auto market has bolstered car sales as a whole, but sales remain well below those for gas and diesel models. How do the figures look? Wolfsburg-based VW only just nudged ahead of Tesla, with 41,475 first registrations of fully electric cars in the first seven months of the year compared to 40,289 passenger cars for the US manufacturer. Tesla had been ahead of VW for the first six months of the year, and was the German market leader for 2022 as a whole, according to the figures from Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). German firms also took third, fourth, and fifth place. Mercedes clinched third with 20,613 registrations, followed by Audi on 16,786. Not far behind them were BMW with 15,987 and South Korean producer Hyundai with 15,411. In total, there were 268,926 first registrations for electric vehicles between the start of January and the end of July. However, the figures still lag way behind those for internal combustion engine models, which clocked up 1.64 million new registrations. Long road to recovery While overall car sales have rebounded since the start of the year, they are still substantially lower than the level recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. German carmakers such as Volkswagen and BMW produced 300,300 vehicles in July, 20% more than in the same period last year, according to Germany's VDA industry association. Supply chain issues — notably when it comes to semiconductors — have dogged the sector that had slowed deliveries to customers. Registrations of electric vehicles boosted the auto market, which rose almost 70% in July year on year, making up 20% of all registrations. Analysts have warned that the end of electric car subsidies for company fleets will likely dampen the market from September. A weakening of Germany's economy, with stagnating growth, high inflation, and rising interest rates, is also expected to weigh on the market. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.

Int’l buyers urged to be more sensitive over RMG price

Garment workers getting 26 pc less salaries: TIB

RMG workers return to workplaces

Workers on streets again rejecting revised salary

No return to workplace, no salary: BGMEA

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the protesting workers of the readymade garments factory to return to workplace by Monday. BGMEA President Md Siddiqur Rahman made the urge at a press conference organized on Sunday at the BGMEA Building in the capital's Karwan Bazar. He also uttered warning saying that workers will not be paid the salaries if they do not return to the workplace by the stipulated time. The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin and senior officials of BGMEA were present at the press meet. Garment workers have been continuing the movement for several days, demanding a change in their new wage structure. MHK

Wage disparity in RMG sector to be removed in one month: Tipu Munshi

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said it will take one month to resolve the inconsistency of the new pay structure for the garment sector workers. A committee has already been formed to remove the disparity in the pay scale, he told the journalists at an emergency press conference in the conference room of the Commerce Ministry on Wednesday. The workers of garment sector are continuing protests, blocking different roads in the capital, demanding the increase and implementation of the minimum wage structure. Under the circumstances, over one hundred factories have been declared shutdown in different areas of Gazipur to avert untoward situation. The minister said if any worker gets money which is less than his salary due to the new pay structure, then it will be adjusted with his next month's salary. A committee comprising five members of labour organisations and five members of the owners, the secretary of Commerce Ministry, the secretary of Labour Ministry will work to remove the inconsistency of the new pay structure. “After receiving the report of this committee, there will be no problem with the workers' wages,” the minister said. He also called upon the workers to pay attention on their work. Tipu Munshi said that it takes a little time to implement any issues that are new. If the new pay structure is implemented, then the existing problem will be overcome. During this type of movement, outsiders often enter to it to take advantage, said Munshi adding that the government is strictly monitoring the situation. MHK

Garment workers blockade Uttara road demanding minimum wage

Hundreds of workers from different garment factories in the city’s Uttara area have blocked Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway for realizing various demands, including implementation of minimum wage. Airport Police Assistant Commissioner Mizanur Rahman said the garment workers took to the streets around 9am on Sunday and took position on the road stretching from Azimpur to Jasim Uddin to press home their demand. A huge traffic jam on both sides of the busy city road has been created following the blockade, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded for hours. Uttara West Police Station OC Ali Hossain Khan said they were talking to the protesting garments workers and owners of the garment factories to resolve the issue. MHK

Govt fixes minimum wage 8,000 taka for garments workers

The government has announced minimum wage for the garments workers. It was announced keeping minimum wage 8 thousand taka. It will be effective after the month of December next. State Minister for Labor and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu announced the wage structure at an emergency press conference at the ministry on Thursday. On January 14 of the current year the government formed wage board for the garments workers. The wage board consisting four permanent members, president of garments owners’ association-BGMEA and a representative from the workers fixed the wage considering the overall matters. Earlier, on November 7, 2013 the gazette was issued fixing minimum wage 5 thousand 300 taka for the garments workers. AH

BGMEA proposes 6360 taka minimum wage for garments workers

The apex organization of readymade garments businessmen BGMEA proposed to fix taka 6,360 as minimum wage for the garments workers. President of the organization Siddiqur Rahman said that this wage was fixed considering the inflation. His proposal came in at the third meeting of the minimum wage commission on Monday. Minimum wage commission chairman Syed Aminul Islam was present in the meeting. Workers leader Begum Shamsunnahar Bhuiyan among others was present on behalf of the workers. Proposal was made from the workers to fix 12,020 taka as the total minimum wage for the garments workers. The new wage frame work was made considering the livelihood expense of workers, quality, production cost, inflation, types of work, risk and quality, business ability and other socio economic affairs. Meanwhile, Garment Workers Trade Union held human chain program in front of minimum wage board office at Paltan in the capital for their demand of fixing minimum wage 16,000 taka. BGMEA president Siddiqur Rahman said, 11 matters are considered to fix the wage of workers. No exception was made this time. We proposed wage 6,360 taka for the worker of minimum grade 7th. Later wages for other grades will be increased gradually. Workers leader Shamsunnahar Bhuiyan said, some organizations proposed to fix minimum wage 16,000 taka and some other 18,000 taka. But in our country qualifications are not the same for all garments workers. New technologies have come in this sector. Experienced people are needed in this regard. So we want that any inexperienced person becomes jobless. Besides, capacity of providing wages for all of our factories is not the same. We hope that wage commission will consider the matters. AH

Corporate tax increase for garments not desirable: BGMEA

‘The budget which the Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith proposed for the year 2018-19, is business friendly but the proposal that was made in the budget for increasing corporate tax in garments industry is not desirable.’ In a post budget press conference held at the BGMEA bhaban on Saturday president of the organization Siddiqur Rahman made this comment. The corporate tax rate was increased from 12 percent to 15 percent in the proposed budget and it was increased from 10 percent to 12 percent for the green industry. Siddiqur Rahman said, this is not desirable, we will solve the issue through discussions. But overall the budget is business friendly. Employment and investment will increase through this budget. He said, budget will not be made based on the garments industry only. There is no good news or bad news for the garments industry in this budget. The main problem for this industry is VAT. There will be harassment if there is VAT. So we are making demand for keeping the export sector free from VAT. The BGMEA president said, our demand was to withdraw tax at source from garments industry. But there is no specific direction in the budget proposals. We hope that the matter will be solved through discussions. AH

Garments export increases 11.67 percent

In the current year’s January-March term the export earnings from garments items has increased by 84 crore 25 lakh dollars. It is 11.67 percent higher than the previous year. A high ranking officer of Banglades Bank said, garments sector of Bangladesh is going on forward though price in the international markets has decreased. This is happening for political stability in the country. He mentioned that the production has also increased. According to the central bank’s information, 806 crore dollars were earned through garments export in these three months. It was 721 crore dollars in the same period of the year 2017. Readymade garments are the main export earning sector of the country. In the last term 85 percent of the total export earnings have come from this sector. President of Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) Moazzem Hossain said, the foreign exchange that comes from different parts of the world, of those lion portion comes from the readymade garments export. He mentioned that following government initiatives and concerned authorities involvement the success is achieved. He said, production in this sector is increasing and as a result export earnings are also increasing. He also mentioned that buyers are getting the most benefits from Bangladesh market. The reason is that at one side production is increasing, on the other hand the exporters are not getting their desired prices. According to Bangladesh Bank information, about 40 lakh people are working in 4 thousand garments factories. The number was 20 lakh in one decade ago. USA, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Canada are the main countries that imports readymade garments products from Bangladesh. In the last quarter the export was 644 crore dollars to these nine countries. AH