While the owners claim they have paid wages with festival bonus to all the workers, the union leaders allege 30% factories are yet to make the payments as the government-set deadline expired yesterday.
Earlier, the government urged the owners to pay wages by September 28 and bonus by October 2.
“All factories were able to pay the workers’ salaries by the deadlines. Only Akik Aparels failed. However, they will also pay today,” BGMEA vice president Shahidullah Azim, told the Dhaka Tribune when asked about the union leaders’ allegation yesterday.
He said Akik would need Tk34 lakh to pay wages of August, of which Tk27 lakh was already collected.
“BGMEA monitoring identified 27 factories who could face problems in making the payments before Eid. As we interfered, problem was solved,” BGMEA leader said.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) monitored 840 units out of 1,000 to see the wage payment situation and found almost 100% factories paid the wage with bonus.
But the union leaders said many factories have not made the payments yet.
The workers have long been struggling to get their dues before the festivals.
“About 35% RMG factory owners did not pay the wages although the deadlines set by the government expired,” Sirajul Islam Rony, president of Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees League (BNGWEL), said.
He, however, said they are hopeful all the payments would be made by tomorrow as they got such assurance from the owners.
Banks will remain open in the industrial areas to facilitate the payments.
“Small factories, especially the subcontractors, are facing problems in making the payments before the Eid,” Nahidul Islam Noyon, general secretary of Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation, said.
He said the number is 10% of the total factories and most of them are small in size and the numbers of workers range between 150 and 300 in each factory.
He, however, said the workers of BGMEA and BKMEA member factories didn’t make any complaints on the payments.