Dragon Fashions workers confine factory owners for 8hrs demanding arrears

Several hundred workers of Dragon Fashions Limited confined two owners of the factory from 12pm to 8pm at the Shrama Bhaban in Dhaka's Paltan area on Sunday, demanding payment of their outstanding wages and other benefits.

The factory owners – Mostafa Golam Kuddus and Kazi Moniruzzaman – were at a tripartite meeting of workers, factory owners, and representatives of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on that day.

At the meeting, they refused to pay the workers their outstanding salaries, which prompted the workers to confine them, said sources.

Rezwan Selim, director of the BGMEA, told The Business Standard that the next meeting to resolve the issue would be held on 23 November at the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Monzur Moyeen, a worker of the factory, said the authorities shut down the factory on 25 March in the face of the novel coronavirus outbreak, without paying dues and other service benefits to the workers.

The agitating workers claimed they have not received their wages and other benefits since then.

"The workers had received the benefits of stimulus packages announced by the government, but they are yet to get their dues and other service benefits as per the labour law," said Monzur.

"During the closure, the owners had vowed to set up a factory in another place and resume operation," he said.

Later, on 24 October, the factory owners promised that they would pay the arrears within 15 November.

But when there was no progress in this regard, the owners, workers and BGMEA representatives sat in a meeting at the Shrama Bhaban on Sunday noon.