Around 280 apparel factory owners are unable to pay the wages and festival bonus to the workers as per their demand before the upcoming Eid-Ul-Fitr.
The factories have been identified and brought under close monitoring as those are not capable to meet the expenditure before Eid, according to BGMEA and BKMEA executives.
However, labour leaders accused the garment owners of the dilly-dally in paying the workers’ wages and festival bonus due to their “unwillingness.”
Although the government has already disbursed Tk734 core as cash export subsidies for the RMG sector, the sector has reportedly been suffering from fund shortage.
Among the troubled factories, 93 are located in the Chittagong district while 137 are located in Dhaka, Naryangong, Savar, Gazipur and Ashulia, a BGMEA high official told the Dhaka Tribune on condition anonymity.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) has also found 50 factories, which are seemingly vulnerable to paying the salaries and bonus to their workers. BKMEA is closely monitoring those factories.
There are some factories, which may face fund shortage to pay bonus and wages, but we are still trying hard to resolve any possible crisis, so all the workers can get their dues to celebrate the Eid festival with their near and dear ones, BGMEA vice-presient Shahidullah Azim, told the Dhaka Tribune.
The crisis depends further on less work orders flow as some factories are now facing order crisis. That’s why, they do not have enough fund to pay the workers before the Eid, Azim explained.
In this regard, he also said: We have urged the banks to provide funds for paying the wages and bonus to the workers and it would be adjusted with the bills of letter of credits (LCs) bills.
Meanwhile, workers leaders claimed that there is no fund shortage but lack of willingness of factory owners is the key reason for not being able to pay the salaries, bonus and other dues before Eid.
“We have seen over the years that the factory owners normally don’t want to pay the dues of the workers but they are to pay when they are compelled to pay,” Sirajul Islam Rony, President, Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees League (BNGWEL), told the Dhaka Tribune.