RMG workers in Tongi, Kaliakair demonstrate over factory shutdown, unpaid dues

Workers from two readymade garments (RMG) factories in Gazipur's Tongi and Kaliakair have blocked highways to demonstrate over factory shutdown, unpaid wages, and payment of Eid bonuses and overtime allowances.

The protests snapped vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway and a regional highway for one and a half hours.

Later, law enforcers went to the spots and brought the situation back to normal.

According to police, workers from BSIS Apparels Limited at Hossain market area in Tongi demonstrated by blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway from 7am this morning (23 March), protesting the shutdown of their factory following unrest for several days.

The protest caused severe gridlock on the highway, creating havoc for the commuters. Later, army members went to the spot around 8:45am and persuaded the workers to leave the street by assuring them of payment of their dues.

The workers later took positions in front of their factory, said the police.

According to factory sources, the workers at BSIS asked the authorities to set a date for the payment of their wages for February, Eid bonuses and overtime allowances on 10 March.

Although the factory authorities set 23 March as the payment date, the workers were not satisfied with the decision, which led to their work abstention on 10 March, sources added.

When the workers went to the factory on the morning of 11 March, they found a factory closure notice hanging at the main gate, which resulted in their protest. They withdrew their protest, being assured by police and army members about payment of their dues, and accepted today as the payment date.

At that time, the workers had said they will not join work unless their dues were paid by the factory authorities.

Rehana, a protesting worker, said, "We have not been paid our salaries for February. Besides, the factory authorities were supposed to pay us our Eid bonuses and overtime allowances today. We found a closure notice when we went to the factory in the morning, so we took to the street. Later, we left the street being assured by army and police members."

Iqbal Hossain, owner of the factory, couldn't be reached for comments.

Meanwhile, workers at Daeyu Bangladesh Limited in Kaliakair have been staging a protest since yesterday (22 March), demanding leave allowances, Eid bonuses, and tiffin allowances.

The violence occurred when some staff and outsiders chased the workers of the factory away around 9am, resulting in a fistfight between the workers and the outsiders.

The incident left three to four workers injured, who were taken to the nearby hospital for treatment. The agitated workers then vandalised the factory premises, said factory sources.

Some other factories declared today a holiday when 400-500 workers from Daeyu Bangladesh Limited went to the factory gates and asked the other workers to join their protest.

The agitated workers vandalised the premises of Lyric Industries Limited when the factory authorities delayed declaring a holiday. A female worker sustained a head injury after a brick thrown by the agitated workers hit her, sources added.

Superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police-2 AKM Jahirul Islam said, "The workers of the Tongi factory have been moved away from the street after assuring them of paying their dues. Vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway is currently normal."

"Additional police members have been deployed in front of Daiyu factory in Kaliakair. The situation is currently normal, and efforts are being made to solve the issue by discussing it with the factory authorities," the SP added.