Owed Tk17.78cr, received only Tk1.05cr: TNZ Group workers

Workers of three readymade garment factories owned by the TNZ Group today  (28 March) said they are owed a staggering Tk17.78 crore in unpaid wages, bonuses and other allowances, but they were paid only Tk1.05 crore yesterday.

The workers broke down the amount of dues the owners owe them in a press statement issued after holding a press conference at the Shrom Bhaban this afternoon.

The press conference was held following an announcement last night, just hours after Labour and Employment Adviser M Sakhawat Hossain had said that disgruntled workers of TNZ Group were paid their dues by selling Apparel Eco Plus Ltd's factory cars.

Condemning the adviser's announcement, the workers today said the workers of TNZ Apparels Ltd, Apparel Plus Eco Ltd and Apparel Art Ltd have been staying at the Shrom Bhaban for five days, hoping to get their unpaid dues.

"The workers have not slept, eaten, or bathed for 5 days now. The workers have run out of patience by sitting like this day after day. Our families are waiting for us. If we get our Eid salary bonus, we will go home and celebrate Eid," reads a press statement, signed by Md Shahidul Islam, Rekha Akhter Tinni and Md Shaheen Alam, on behalf of the TNZ Group workers.

In the statement, they disclosed the account of their dues.

According to the statement, the workers of TNZ Apparels are owed over Tk6.94 crore in unpaid wages for February and March, and over Tk1.69 crore as Eid bonus.

A total of 826 workers of Apparel Eco Plus were owed a total of Tk6.75 crore in unpaid salaries of January, February and March, Eid bonus, and other allowances.

They were paid a total of Tk1.05 crore yesterday, reads the press statement.

Meanwhile, 240 workers of Apparel Art Ltd are owed a total of Tk2.04 crore in unpaid salaries for three months, Eid bonuses and other allowances.

 The TNZ Group workers criticised the government for creating confusion over their dues.

"On the one hand, the government is terming the workers' protests as 'incitement', and on the other hand, the government is ignoring the peaceful movement day after day," the TNZ workers said.

"In this situation, if we do not receive our dues, including Eid bonus, we will continue our programme. If our dues are not paid before Eid, if necessary, we will go to the chief advisor to present our demands," they added.

The workers also pointed out that despite the signing of tripartite agreements between the owners, workers, and the government to settle wages and benefits of the three factories, the owners repeatedly violated these agreements.

"Due to unpaid wages, we are unable to pay house rent or clear debts at local shops, forcing us to live in dire conditions, often going without food," reads the press statement.

"Finally, last Sunday morning, workers began a peaceful sit-in protest in front of the Labor Building in the capital. Even after three days of demonstrating there, no one reached out to address the issue," it adds.

The workers later announced a peaceful march to the Ministry of Labour to submit a memorandum, but their attempt was met with "a brutal and unprovoked attack on hundreds of workers who had not received their salaries for months".

The police fired multiple tear gas shells and sound grenades at the workers. "Student leader Dilip Roy was attacked with hammers and rods. The police also mercilessly beat 20 workers with batons, leaving them injured and requiring hospital treatment."

The workers later declared a sit-in protest at the Shrom Bhaban until effective measures are taken to settle our dues by 27 March, following which they were assured by the labour secretary that their dues will be cleared within the stipulated deadline.

However, the TNZ workers alleged that yesterday, the labour secretary did not receive their phone calls, nor did he respond to their text messages sent after the promise made to them was not kept.

"Despite various attempts to contact the labour secretary in the last 5 days, he did not respond, he did not come to see us even once. Instead, the labour adviser gave a news briefing to the media in the evening with the information provided by him. After hearing this, the protesting workers burst into anger and frustration," reads the statement.

"In reality, only the workers of Apparel Plus Eco Ltd received a small amount of their total dues, which is 'nothing more than a ploy to create division among workers and confusion among the countrymen,' the workers alleged. 

"The statement of the labor advisor does not match the real situation. He told the countrymen in the media that all the money has been paid to the workers of Apparel Eco Plus Limited by selling the owner's car. This is a complete lie. Three factories of the TNZ group are protesting in the Shrom Bhaban, demanding their salaries, bonuses. However, the advisor mentioned the name of one factory," the TNZ workers said, criticising the adviser's statement.

"He [adviser] told the countrymen that it was an unprecedented event in the history of Bangladesh, and our dues have been paid by selling the owner's car. The question is, how much are the cars worth? How much is the worker's due? In reality, the fact is that  Apparel Eco Plus workers got only 80% of their January salary, while they are owed four months' salary and Eid bonus, but it is being publicised as all dues have been cleared," they added.

They called on the adviser to explain why the names of the remaining two factories of the TNZ Group were not mentioned at the press conference. 

"How did they pay three months' salary and bonus to 3,000 workers with the money from the sale of cars?" they noted.

The workers also announced that they will launch a "hunger march" with utensils in hand from the Shrom Bhaban, demanding the payment of their dues.

"If the workers' demands are not met, an action plan will be issued to submit a memorandum to the residence of the chief advisor," they said.