Garment factory owners have promised to paying apparel workers partial wages of the current month along with festival bonus by July 26.
They gave their assurance in a tripartite meeting among BGMEA, BKMEA, BTMA leaders, RMG factory owners and garment workers’ leaders and the government officials at the Labour Ministry yesterday.
After the meeting, State Minister Mujibul Haque Chunnu said: “The garment factory owners have agreed to pay the RMG workers a portion of the current month’s wage and festival allowance ahead of Eid so that they can celebrate the festival with their family members peacefully.”
The labour law does not state anything about festival allowance, he added. “They [factory owners] have, however, agreed to pay partial wages for the current month and festival allowance as per their ability by July 26,” he said.
“They have given us assurance that they will pay them before Eid. We will monitor the situation during this period. The Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishment (DIFE) under the Labour Ministry has opened a control room to observe the situation. If the workers have any complaint, they can inform the control room. The government will take necessary steps against the factories to avoid any kind of unwanted situation.”
Asked about the intelligence agency’s report on financial crisis faced by a number of RMG factories, the minister said: “The owners did not seek help in providing wages and festival allowance to the RMG workers. The government is ready to help them.”
Most of the labour groups have been demanding payment of arrears, wage of the current month and festival bonus before July 19.
BKMEA’s First Vice-President MA Hatem said, “The DIFE on behalf of the government and BGMEA, BKMEA and BTMA have set up separate control rooms to avoid any kind of unrest in the RMG sector.
“The authorities will take necessary steps as soon as they receive information about any untoward incident. We hope no problem will arise.”
The state minister also called upon the bus operators not to charge extra fare during the Eid, particularly from workers. According to ministry officials, the industrial police recently warned the authorities concerned that labour unrest might flare up in around 500 apparel units operating in Ashulia, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chittagong ahead of Eid centring payment of wages and festival allowance.
Meanwhile, the National Garment Workers Federation at a protest rally in front of Jatiya Press Club yesterday demanded payment of festival allowance equivalent to the basic wage of one month before Eid.
