Apparel workers demand full salary for April before Eid
Factory owners, however, are taking preparation to pay workers for 15 days
Apparel sector worker leaders have demanded full salary for the month of April before the Eid vacation, saying depriving them of the full salary would be an "injustice".
Protesting Monday's government instruction to factory owners to pay 15 days' wages before the vacation, they said the directive might create unrest among the apparel workers.
"We have repeatedly called for clearing the due wages, providing Eid bonus equivalent to basic salaries, and salary for the month of April within 20 Ramadan," said Khairul Mamun Mintu, organising secretary of the Garment Workers Trade Union.
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"Workers are now coming to us to ensure their full month salaries as they will work until 28 April before the Eid," he told The Business Standard, adding that the factory workers should pay that on humanitarian grounds.
"Frustration will grip the workers if they get salaries of only 15 days," said National Garment Workers Federation Vice-President Md Kabir Hossain.
"Many of the factory-owners promised us about providing full month salaries. However, only 15-day wages will fail to satisfy workers," he told TBS.
The worker leader said they would organise an event at the National Press Club on Friday to place the demands. Besides, a demonstration would be staged in Savar on the same day, he added.
Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation President Rafiqul Islam Sujan also urged the government and the factory owners to revisit the matter.
On Monday, State Minister for labour and employment Begum Monnujan Sufian, after a tripartite meeting with the stakeholders at his ministry, said that they asked all the factory owners to provide salaries of workers at least for 15 days for the month of April before the Eid.
Meanwhile, RMG entrepreneurs said they were taking preparation in line with the government instruction and they did not see any fear of unrest.
"We will pay our workers for 15 days for the month of April in compliance with the government instruction. Our workers are okay with that," said Md Shahidullah Azim, vice-president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
"However, worker leaders are uttering the demands for their own interests or to serve a quarter," he told TBS.
"If any factory owners want to pay their workers for the full month, they can."
