Workers and staff of an RMG factory in Gazipur took to the streets on Saturday morning to press home their 19-point demand.
A total of 225 staff members (including distributors, supervisors, and in-charge workers) of Jamuna Denims Ltd, a subsidiary of Jamuna Group, began the protest in Konabari, Gazipur at 8am on Saturday. A section of workers has also joined in support of the protest.
The protestors blocked the Konabari-Kashimpur road, halting traffic until 10:30am. Later, they shifted to the sides of the road, allowing vehicles to move again from 10:45am.
Their 19-point demands include the following: All staff must be paid a 10% increment of their total salary, including the delayed annual increment, along with the salary of the current month.
They also demanded that the increased salary, as per the 2023 gazette, must be paid for the period from December to August. The due leave payment for both staff and workers must be included in this month’s salary. There should be no salary discrimination between workers and staff.
The protesters also demanded the minimum salary for supervisors must be Tk33,000, for line chiefs Tk38,000, and for in-charge workers Tk50,000. These demands must be implemented starting this September. If staff members work on holidays, they should receive a day’s attendance.
They also said All workers should receive an attendance bonus of Tk900, and any work after 7pm should include a snack allowance of Tk50, while work after 11pm should include a night shift bonus of Tk100.
Selim Reza, the compliance manager of Jamuna Denims Ltd, said that 8-10 representatives from the protesters were invited to discuss their demands with senior officials in the factory’s meeting room.
“However, the protesters refused the offer and continued their protest by blocking the factory’s main gate. Since morning, they have not allowed workers to enter the factory. The army and industrial police are present at the scene,” he added.
Jahangir Alam, assistant police superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police-2 (Konabari Zone), said that the protesting employees have not entered the factory and are demonstrating at the main gate with their 19-point demand. At one point, they blocked the Konabari-Kashimpur road to stage their protest.
