Almost every Readymade Garment (RMG) factory owner has fallen in line with a government directive and paid staff bonuses for Eid-ul-Azha, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said yesterday.
“As far as we know, nearly 100% of RMG factory owners have paid festive bonuses for the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha,” BGMEA First Vice President Moinuddin Ahmed said at a press conference at the association’s headquarters in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka.
On August 9, State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haq Chunnu asked all factory owners in the RMG sector to pay the Eid festival bonuses to workers by August 16, and partial wages for the current month by August 19.
“All the factory owners have also paid salaries for the month of July (while) wages for the first 10-15 days of the current month have also been paid after negotiations with factory workers,” Moinuddin said.
The BGMEA leader added that 90% of RMG factories had announced vacations for workers by Monday, with the rest expected to do so by today.
Sirajul Islam Rony, president of the Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees League, told the Dhaka Tribune on Monday that the government’s goals had mostly been met.
“Though it is late, almost all factory owners paid bonuses (and) a number of factory owners have also paid partial wages for the current month,” he said.
However, Rony added that there were some factories which had failed to pay wages, but they were not members of the BGMEA.
“I think the government should take steps against these factories to avert untoward incidents. They are tarnishing the image of the whole apparel industry,” he said.
Moinuddin Ahmed said preventative action was already being taken.
“Based on information from several intelligence agencies and our monitoring department, we have brought 700 factories that may face problems paying festive bonus and salaries under close monitoring,” the BGMEA leader said.
He added that 21 factories, which were facing trouble managing funds, were able to pay wages and festive bonuses with the assistance of the BGMEA.
The Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) also claimed that factory owners in the industry had paid festive bonuses.
“We did not face any problems paying bonus and wages for the month of July (and) we have also announced vacations for the workers,” BKMEA President AKM Salim Osman said.