Workers of Fu-wang Foods Limited, a food manufacturing company in the Hotapara area of Gazipur, staged a protest on Tuesday by blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for nearly 45 minutes, demanding three months’ overdue salaries and bonuses.
Inspector Abdul Latif of the Gazipur Industrial Police confirmed that the workers occupied the highway in protest from 9am to 9:45am.
During the protest, traffic on both sides of the highway came to a complete standstill, resulting in severe congestion and considerable inconvenience for drivers, passengers, and local residents, Latif added.
Upon receiving the news, Joydebpur police, Industrial Police, and the army arrived at the scene and negotiated with the factory authorities.
The workers withdrew from the highway after receiving assurances that their demands would be met, and by 10:50am, traffic had returned to normal.
The protesting workers said that every year before Eid, the factory owners and management delay their salary and bonus payments.
Salaries for January, February, and March remain unpaid, and the Eid bonus has also not been provided, they added.
They complained that although the authorities have repeatedly assured them of clearing their dues, they continue to delay payments.
The police assured them that all outstanding salaries and bonuses would be paid by the evening.
Currently, all workers are staging a peaceful sit-in inside the factory, vowing not to leave until their dues including bonuses, are fully paid.
Inspector Abdul Latif said that discussions are ongoing with the factory’s senior management, and efforts are being made to ensure that all outstanding payments, including bonuses, are settled by the end of the day.
However, Mukit Hossain, an official from the Human Resources and Administration Department of Fu-wang Foods Limited, denied the workers’ claims, saying only February’s salary is due.
"Payments had already started yesterday afternoon, but some workers’ salaries remained unpaid due to the large amount of money involved and the late hours. Once funds are withdrawn from the bank, salary payments would resume."
