Workers from at least thirty readymade garment (RMG) factories on Wednesday took to the streets in different areas of the capital, Gazipur and Chittagong, demanding payment of their dues.
RMG workers gathered and demonstrated at four areas of the capital, including Mirpur 11, Kallayanpur, Mohakhali, and Badda.
The government earlier asked the RMG factory owners to pay wages by April 16 amid coronavirus pandemic after BGMEA had announced shutdown of all factories till April 25.
Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employees League (BNGWEL) President Sirajul Islam Rony confirmed Dhaka Tribune that around a thousand workers of Clamond Garment started protesting at Mirpur 11 at 10am to press home their demand.
Mirpur police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mostajirur Rahman said the workers of Needs Fashions Ltd and Amichi Apparels Ltd took to the streets at Kallyanpur area around 9am.
Later, they withdrew their agitation program around 10am after authorities concerned assured them of meeting their demand.
Badda police station OC Md Parvez Islam said workers of Sahara Fashion Ltd demonstrated at Pragati Sarani from 9am to 10am.
“About 200 to 250 workers were on the street. Then the local public representatives, army officials, along with us, managed to persuade them to end their demonstration,” he said.
At the same time, workers of MA Garments Ltd demonstrated at Mohakhali area from 9am to 9:15am, confirmed Tejgaon Industrial police station OC Ali Hossain Khan.
“They came to withdraw salary, but took the streets as they failed to collect it. Later, they withdrew their demonstration soon after the factory owners assured them of their payment by tomorrow (Thursday),” he added.
Workers protest for arrears in Gazipur
Workers of at least 25 apparel factories on Wednesday took to the streets for getting their wages for March, blocking the Dhaka-Gazipur and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways at one point during their protests.
Additional Superintendents of Gazipur industrial police Mostafizur Rahman and Arif Raiyan said workers of at least 25 apparel factories protested at the district's Bhogra, Sharifpur, Boardbazar, Signboard, Tongi, Lakkhipura, Salna, Sreepur and other areas.
In Lakkhipura and adjacent Tinsharak area, workers of Style Craft and Intramax Apparels began protesting outside the factory premises as the owners did not give them any tentative time when their wages would be paid.
They proceeded to block the nearby Dhaka-Gazipur highway for 2.5 hours. Later authorities of Intramax and Style Craft pledged in front of the workers that their salaries would be paid by the 20th and 27th of this month, said Shahidul Islam, inspector of Gazipur industrial police.
Similar protests took place in Salna, where workers of Shyamoli Garments protested for not getting their wages yet.
The authorities later declared the wages would be paid by April 18-20, but they also claimed protesters had vandalized a portion of the factory and damaged machinery.
Apparel workers block road in Ctg
Several hundred workers of an apparel factory on Wednesday staged demonstration by blocking road for arrear salaries in Chittagong.
According to the police, the vehicular movement was halted for two hours from 8:00am after the workers blocked the CEPZ road in the city.
Police rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the agitating apparel workers.
The demonstrating workers of Padma Wears Ltd of Chittagong Export Processing Zone, said they were compelled to take to the streets.
"We were supposed to be paid our wages for March by April 16. However, the factory authorities are deliberately delaying the payment," complained a demonstrating worker.
Mir Md Nurul Huda, officer-in-charge of EPZ Police, said the agitating apparel workers lifted the road blockade after the factory authorities assured them of paying their wages for March as soon as possible.
Comments from BGMEA
When asked about the role of BGMEA to address the situation, its President Rubana Huq told Dhaka Tribune: “Over 19.20 lakh workers out of 24.72 lakh employed at 1,186 factories have already been paid salaries. In percentage, it is about 78% and we hope it will be 80% by tomorrow (Thursday).
She said the BGMEA was in talks with commercial banks as well as Bangladesh Bank for fund for those who were in cash crunch. Banks were giving assurance to provide fund, she added.
“I am hopeful the unpaid workers will get their salaries by April 20,” assured Rubana.
She said not a single worker would be deprived of salary.
“It does not matter how many workers demonstrate. But, it matters that they are our workers and got to be paid.”
(Anwar Hussain from Chittagong and Raihanul Islam Akhand from Gazipur also contributed to this report)
