More than 100 garment factories are yet to pay their workers for February this year. Many factories could not even give Eid bonuses. The industrial police and labor leaders fear that a crisis may arise. However, the owner told the media that even if there is a crisis, the workers will always get a salary and bonus at certain times this time.
Recently, the monitoring institutions of the government informed the Ministry of Home Affairs that there may be a crisis with bonuses and wages in more than four hundred garment factories. But in the meantime, this number has reduced to hundreds. BGMEA, the association of the owners of the ready-made garment sector, says that if there is no major crisis, the workers will go home on Eid vacation with bonuses and wages like every other time.
In this regard, Superintendent of Industrial Police Nurani Ferdous Disha told a national daily that hundreds of factories have not yet paid the wages for February. Hopefully, the owners of these factories will take the initiative to solve the problem before Eid. All parties are aware. We hope the workers will get their wages and bonuses before Eid.
Gazipur's Keya Spinning Mill authorities have not paid its eight thousand workers two months' salary, bonus, and earned leave. Because of this, the workers have been protesting by blocking the road for several days. Apart from this, the workers of more than 10 garment factories in Gazipur, Sreepur, Tongi Bisik, Konabari, Kashimpur, and other areas have been protesting since last Tuesday to demand outstanding salaries and bonuses. Apart from this, the workers of several factories in Dhaka's Mirpur, Savar, Ashulia, and Narayanganj protested to demand salary and bonuses.
Industrial police, other law enforcement agencies, and intelligence agencies are in regular contact with the leaders of industrial owners and owners' organizations BGMEA, BKMEA, and BTMA so that the law and order situation does not deteriorate around this issue. Factories which are having problems with salary and bonuses are being urged to resolve them quickly.
According to Industrial Police sources, there are 2,200 to 2,300 industries in the Gazipur region. Among them, there are 1,185 garment factories. Some of its factories have problems with pay and bonuses. An official has said that some factory owners are eager to pay only bonuses, while others can only pay salaries. But there is an order from the government that before Eid, February salary, Eid bonus, and March salary should be given for 15 days even if not in full.
Meanwhile, industrial police sources said that workers of seven to eight factories went on strike last Tuesday demanding unpaid salaries and bonuses. The workers of these factories in Sreepur, Konabari, Tongi Bisik, Kaliakair, and Kashimpur areas of Gazipur protested inside the factory.
Touhidur Rahman, president of the Garment Workers Federation, said in an interview with a national daily that there is a crisis in the garment sector regarding salaries and bonuses every year before Eid. This time, there is no exception. However, the owners of big factories have already started paying bonuses. Meanwhile, almost 60 percent of the factories have given bonuses till last Thursday. As the bonus has been given, the workers will also get the salary. Worryingly, many factory owners have not yet paid their salaries for February. They did not start paying salaries for March.
Faruque Hassan, president of BGMEA, the apex organization of the ready-made garment sector, said that although there has been an increase in exports in the garment sector in recent time, the business is not good for various reasons. Many factories are out of work. Because of this, several factory owners are in financial crisis, having problems paying salaries and bonuses. Despite this, we are trying to ensure that workers will go home safely with wages and bonuses before Eid.
ZH
