Workers stage demos for full wages, arrears

Thousands of ready-made garment workers of about 20 factories staged demonstrations on Tuesday in Ashulia, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chattogram in a demand of full wages for April and payment of arrears.

Of them, workers of 12 factories had been agitating in the Ashulia and Gazipur industrial area for the last few days.

Those factories are: Chad Fashion Ltd, Ratul Fashion Ltd, Fashion Knit Composite Ltd, Dakko Design Ltd, Dabuniyer Garments Ltd, Makkoy Sweaters Ltd, Lily Apparels Ltd and Biltex Complex Ltd in Ashulia, and DBL Group Ltd, Moaguddin Textiles Mills Ltd and Radisson Garments Ltd based in Gazipur.

Besides, factories based in Narayanganj and Chattogram are Alfine Knitwear Ltd and UFM (BD) Ltd respectively.

However, Gazipur DBL Group's workers on Monday vandalised their factory while demanding 100 percent wages for April and Eid bonus.

The government has already given a directive on this issue, saying only those who were present at work for the entire month of April will get 100 percent salaries.

Workers who have worked partly in a month will get 100 percent payment for those days and 65 percent for the rest of the days, according to the directive.

Sources said workers are not happy with 65 percent salary for April as they have a perception that the government wants to pay them 100 percent from the Tk5000-crore stimulus fund but owners want to deprive them.

Industrial police headquarters' Superintendent of Police (Intelligence and Operations) Mohammad Amjad Hossain told The Business Standard that apparel workers have a misconception over the stimulus package as they are demanding full wages for April.

According to the industrial police, workers of only 243 garment and textile factories have been paid for April. Of the factories, 78 are BGMEA, 39 BKMEA and 21 BTMA members.

However, 117 garment and textile factories have not paid their workers for March. Of them, 63 are BGMEA, 44 BKMEA and 10 BTMA members.