Labour rights groups on Monday demanded that the factory owners pay the wages and festival allowances to the readymade garment workers within Ramadan 20.
Under the banner of Garments Sramik Sangram Parishad, several trade union federation forms a human chain in front of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association in the capital to press home their four-point demands.
The labour leaders submitted a memorandum to the BGMEA demanding payment of full wages for the month of June and half for the month of July within Ramadan 20, payment of festival allowances equivalent to one month basic pay and bonus for the sweater factory workers who worked piece rate basis.
They also demanded not to terminate workers from their jobs before Eid-ul-Fitr.
During the human chain labour leaders alleged that many factories do not pay wages and allowances to the workers properly and unrest take place in the sector before Eid.
‘Most of the garment workers cannot share the joy of Eid with their family members as factory owners do not pay wages in proper time and good number of factories do not pay festival allowances,’ said Taslima Akter, president of Garment Sramik Sanghati.
Demanding wages and allowances in time she said that if any untoward situation occurred in the sector due to non-payment before Eid the government and the factory owners will have to bear the responsibility.
Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, president of Bangladesh Textile Garment Workers Federation, said that it is unfortunate that the amount of festival allowances for the garment workers is not decided.
The BGMEA vice-president Shahidullah Azim told New Age that the trade body asked its all member factories to pay wages by July 10 and allowances by July 15.
‘A total of 74 factories across the country remain under vigilance of the BGMEA as there are some irregularities in those factories,’ he said.
‘End of the day I hope 100 per cent factories will pay wages and allowances and no unrest will take place in the sector,’ Azim said.
Source: New Age
