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Eid holidays can’t be extended’

Workers must stay at their workplace


Published : 09 May 2021 09:45 PM | Updated : 10 May 2021 01:55 AM

The State Minister for Labor and Employment Begum Mannujan Sufian has turned down the demand of garment workers for extending Eid holidays.

She said there is no authority to give more than three days of public holiday for Eid festival. The workers and the employers will decide whether to work overtime or not, she added.

She made the remarks at a meeting of the Tripartite Consultative Council (TCC) on RMG at Shram Bhaban in the capital on Sunday.

Mannujan Sufian said that, "If any worker is given leave for more than three days as prescribed by the government, she or he must stay at work. There is no way to leave the workplace". 

“Even if you all suffer, wear a mask and follow the hygiene rules. Don't go home at the risk of your life. Celebrate this Eid wherever you are. It will keep you safe, your family will be safe, the country will be safer,” added Mannujan. 

She also said that the public holiday has been fixed at three days. Apart from this, many garments factory authorities have given five to seven days off.

The state minister said the owners must pay all the dues including salaries and bonuses of the workers by tomorrow. 

The owners' representatives present at the meeting assured to pay the bonus to all the factory workers by tomorrow. 

Earlier in the day, the garment workers demanded five days instead of the three days leave for Eid announced by the government.

Jolly Talukder, general secretary of the Garment Workers Trade Union Center, said, “We celebrate Eid twice a year. The workers cannot celebrate Eid within these three days, as many of them go to their village home which is time consuming. We are demanding two more additional days off for the Eid festival.” 

Secretary of the Ministry KM Abdus Salam, Additional Secretary Dr. Rezaul Haque, Inspector General of the Department of Factory and Establishment Inspection Md. Nasir Uddin Ahmed, Director General of Labor Department Gautam Chakraborty, Senior Co-President of BGMEA and General Secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan North of Bangladesh Awami League SM Abdul Mannan Kochi, Vice President Md. Nasir Uddin, BKMEA senior vice president Mohammad Hatem, labor leaders Naimul Hasan Jewel, Abul Hossain, Montu Ghosh, Salauddin Swapan, Sirajul Islam Rony, Babul Akter, Ahsan Habib Bulbul, Lima Ferdous and Nurul Islam participated in the meeting.