The government has directed the ready-made garment manufacturers to pay the upcoming Eid festival bonus by September 20.
Eid ul-Azha will be celebrated in the country on September 25.
State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu made the call after a meeting with the members of “Crisis Management Committee” at his office yesterday.
Paying festival bonus is not mentioned in the labour law, but RMG factory owners are paying its over the years, he said.
“I hope all factory owners will pay the allowance ahead of Eid ul-Azha,” Mujibul Haque said, adding that the rules of Labour Act that recently incorporated the festival allowance issues would be published within a day or two.
The state minister asked the factory owners to pay to the workers the 15-day wages of the current month without mentioning any date.
As per the law, the workers’ wages should have to be paid within the first seven working days of every month.
“I urge the factory owners to pay wages for at least 25 days as Eid will be held on September 25,” said Mujibul.
The junior minister also directed the factory owners to allow vacation to the workers in phases, starting from September 21, so that they can leave Dhaka smoothly.
However, the garment factory owners also requested the minister not to ask them to pay partial wages for the current month.
They also said it is not necessary to set any date as more or less all factories pay bonus before Eid.
However, the government, factory owners and labour leaders agreed to pay festival allowances by September 20 in the wake of a primary opposition from the factory owners.
Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar, Inspector General Syed Ahmed of the Department of Inspection for the Factories and Establishments, former BGMEA vice-president Siddiqur Rahman, representatives from Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association and jute mills and industrial police were present at the meeting.
