TNZ workers reject Tk3cr payment offer before Eid, vow to continue protests

Highlights:

• 3 top officials of the TNZ Group will remain in police custody until the owner returns to country
• Labour secretary to hold another meeting on 8 April to discuss TNZ Group's issues 
• TNZ Group owes a total of Tk17.13 crore to over 3,000 workers across its three units

Workers of TNZ Group have rejected the company's offer to pay Tk3 crore in dues before Eid-ul-Fitr, insisting on full payment of their outstanding wages and Eid bonuses amounting to over Tk17 crore.

After a meeting at Shrom Bhaban in Dhaka this afternoon, Labour and Employment Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman said TNZ Group agreed to arrange Tk3 crore by selling some of their machines to pay off the workers.

In this regard, TNZ Apparels cutting operator Shahidul Islam said the workers will continue their protests until all their dues are paid. 

"We will continue our demonstrations in front of Shrom Bhaban, even on Eid day," said Shahidul.

During the meeting, Shafiquzzaman also said three top officials of the TNZ Group will remain in police custody until the owner, who has been living abroad for a long time, returns to the country.

They are TNZ Group Director Shariful Islam Shahin, Executive Director Ali Hossain and Group CHO Enamul Haque.

"If the workers are unable to celebrate Eid, the factory officials will not be allowed to do so either," the labour secretary said.

The development comes after a group of garment workers continued their demonstration in front of Shrom Bhaban (labour ministry office), demanding three months' unpaid wages and their Eid bonus. 

The workers, mostly women, gathered near the labour ministry early in the morning, holding placards and chanting slogans to press home their demands.

Later, the labour secretary also mentioned that after the Eid holidays, he will hold another meeting on 8 April to discuss TNZ Group's issues. 

"Before May Day, we want to ensure a resolution to the TNZ [Group] issue," he said.

Labour leader Joly Talukdar, however, said, "The labour secretary has not given any decision to solve these issues."

Iqbalur Rahman, former president of the Biplobi Chhatra Moitri said, "We refuse [to accept] their decisions and will continue our protest."

TNZ Group owes a total of Tk17.13 crore to over 3,000 workers across its three readymade garment factories. In November last year, the government allocated Tk16 crore to earlier dues of workers.

The meeting

During the meeting this, Labour Secretary Shafiquzzaman said about 12 garment factories, including TNZ Group, Style Craft Group, Mahmud Group, Roar Fashion, Basic, and Ssain Apparels, are facing difficulties in paying workers' wages and Eid-ul-Fitr bonuses.

He said most crisis-hit factories have resolved their payment issues following extensive efforts by the government, law enforcement agencies as well as BGMEA. 

"After continuous efforts, we have managed to secure funds for most factories," he said.

However, TNZ Group remains an exception, as its owner is currently abroad, and its top management has failed to secure funds for worker payments. As a result, the company is now being forced to sell machinery to raise Tk3 crore.

In a bid to ease the financial strain on the sector, the government has released Tk2,250 crore from exporters' cash incentive claims this year, a significant increase from Tk700 crore last year.  

Meanwhile, the Industrial Police reported that almost all factories under the country's four major trade bodies have cleared wages and allowances. 

However, factories such as TNZ Group, Mahmud Group, and Style Craft Group continue to face challenges, with the ministry and trade bodies actively working to resolve these issues.

Meanwhile, according to a BGMEA report published this, 11 ready-made garment factories have yet to pay Eid bonuses. 

Out of 2,107 operational factories – 1,769 in the Dhaka region and 338 in Chattogram – 2,099 have cleared February wages, 2,079 have paid partial or full wages for March, and 2,098 have disbursed Eid bonuses.