The management of Tuba Group is set to pay its workers of five garment factories the outstanding wages for July and the overtime dues today.
The workers would be paid at 2pm at the BGMEA headquarters in Karwan Bazar area, as decided at a meeting of the garment owners’ platform, government, factory management and labour leaders in the city yesterday.
“As per our promise made earlier, the BGMEA compelled the owner of Tuba Group to pay the wages for the month of July and the outstanding overtime amounts,” BGMEA President Atiqul Islam said.
At the meeting, the labour leaders placed three demands – to ensure payment of Eid bonuses, keeping factories operational and not to harass the workers by law enforcement agencies.
However, the issues of Eid bonuses and job security were not discussed while the government assured that the workers would not be harassed.
The five units are Tuba Fashion, Tuba Textile, Mita Design, Taif Design and Bughsan Garments.
At least 1,200 workers of the five factories started hunger strike on July 28 at Hossain Market in the capital’s Badda area demanding the payment of three months’ wages, overtime and festival bonuses together before Eid.
As the workers continued the demonstration, the police padlocked the building on Wednesday and drove away the agitating workers to evacuate the building that houses three factories the following day.
Meanwhile, on those two days, the BGMEA paid the dues for May and June – around Tk2.5 crore to 1,475 workers.
On Thursday, State Minister for Labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu at a press briefing warned that actions would be taken against the Tuba Group owner if the dues were not paid by today.
