A BGMEA survey of 271 RMG units among 571 non-compliant ones finds that only 255 RMG units have so far implemented such minimum wages.

Most of the workers' leaders are now skeptical over a better situation as the deadline is slipping away fast.

"If any RMG unit fails to pay as per the minimum wage board, the workers of the factory concerned would have no other option than agitation for their survival because no worker is now unaware of the deadline," said Nazma Akther, a workers' representative in the Wage Board.

The workers are passing their hard time in a hope that they would get enhanced wages from April, which may match their living cost, she added, fearing that the harsh reality might force them to lose their patience as they are struggling to keep their body and soul together with their meagre income.

Sources in the sector said not over 40 percent RMG units, mostly composite industries, are paying the workers minimum wages.

Such compliant industries would not exceed 50 percent within the stipulated time, they anticipated.

Md. Towhidur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Garments Industry Workers Federation, is also of the identical view on the number of the units being compliant.

"The situation will turn from bad to worse on expiry of the deadline," he could not help expressing his apprehension.

He is also critical of what he said the government's not allowing any press conference to express their concern.

Meanwhile, Anwarul Alam Chowdhury Parvez, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), expressed high hope of cent percent implementation of the minimum wages by June 30.

He, however, figured out a BGMEA survey finding that says only 255 garment industries have succeeded in enforcement of workers' minimum wages.

There will be no business relations with the BGMEA-member units failing to enforce the minimum wages by June 30, Parvez reiterated his warning.

Annisul Huq, a former BGMEA president, however, opposed the incumbent president's opinion and said it is impossible to implement the minimum wages by all the RMG units within the timeframe.

He said any trick to manage the situation in anybody's own way might bring a serious setback for the industry.

He asked for taking a realistic stance by the government to face the situation.

Besides, the labour ministry is conducting survey in different garment industries to ascertain the real situation. The ministry is supposed to take action against the non-complaint industries after the expiry of the deadline.

"We would take stern action against the non- complaint industries. We may ask the owners to close their factories if they fail to implement the wage board," a senior official, also a member of the audit cell of the labour ministry, said.

He also feared an outburst of labour unrest in case of failure in such compliance.

Earlier, BGMEA leaders in a general meeting on June 9 tried hard to convince their fellows that they would have no option but to implement the minimum wages by June 30.

The leaders also reminded them of tough public sentiment as well as media and government stance about immediate implementation of the increased wages.

The RMG labour unrests in May and June 2006, in which a few workers were killed, many were injured and many factories were damaged, forced the 10-point tripartite agreement on June 4, 2006 that decided to form a tripartite wage commission and provided the commission with three months time to suggest a new pay scale as the minimum wage, which remained unchanged at Tk 930 for 12 years.

The agreement also promised providing workers with appointment letters, payment of overtime charges, holidays and maternity leaves.

The commission finalised the apparel workers' pay structure, setting the minimum wage at Tk 1,662.50 on October 5, 2006 and the government on October 22 made a gazette notification to this end.

The workers were expecting payment of increased wages by December 2006.

Garment owners missed the December deadline and at a meeting on May 13, 2007 with the labour adviser, Anwarul Iqbal, the leaders of garment and knitwear manufacturers and exporters' associations again committed to implementing the increased wages by June 30.