Workers of TNZ Group's Apparel Plus Limited factory have blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur, protesting the closure of the factory by the owners without paying their wages.
The workers have been occupying the highway since Tuesday morning.
Traffic was disrupted on both the Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways, causing a 7-10km traffic congestion, leaving commuters in distress.
The protesting workers said that the factory owners had promised to pay their overdue wages on Tuesday. They had waited peacefully the entire day on Monday, as per the owners' announcement.
However, the owners unexpectedly closed the factory without settling the dues. The workers have also said they will not leave the road until they receive their full payments.
Shafiul Alam, president of the Gazipur Metropolitan unit of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, said that the owners had closed the factory on August 14. A tripartite agreement was reached to settle all dues.
According to the agreement, the overdue salary from July was supposed to be paid on September 25, but when it was not paid, the workers had blocked the road. The payment date was then pushed to September 30, but the owners announced the factory's closure again, he added.
Dhaka Tribune could not reach Kabir Hossain, general manager of TNZ Group's Apparel Plus Limited factory.
Inspector Habil from Gazipur Industrial Police (Bhogra Zone) said that protests are ongoing, and the workers have blocked the highway. The police are trying to convince them to clear the road.
Meanwhile, in another protest, workers of MM Knitwear Limited in Konabari have been striking for two days, demanding an increase in their tiffin allowance, and attendance bonus.
