Garment workers staged demonstration at Konabari in Gazipur district on Monday, demanding salary arrears and bonus before Eid-ul-Fitr festival. They also demanded payment of full salary for March, allowances and festival bonus before Eid.
RMG Workers take to street before every Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-ul-Azha festival in our country as many owners do not pay full salary, bonus and arrears. We also have noticed that without paying their salary and Eid bonus, many RMG factory owners hung a vacation notice on the main gate of their factories in the past.
Usually workers block Dhaka-Mymensingh, Dhaka-Aricha, Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Sylhet highways in different strategic points, demanding arrears and Eid bonus. Therefore, a serious traffic gridlock is created on the roads in capital Dhaka or the highways, causing immense suffering for home-bound people every year.
The owners must pay all the arrears and allowances of all workers before the 21st of Ramadan, festival bonus and the full salary for March. But the owners are making delay in paying salary and Eid bonus.
RMG Workers take to
street before every
Eid-ul-Fitr or
Eid-ul-Azha festival
The owners’ such attitude towards the workers is completely illogical and inhumane. In such a situation, it is beyond their comprehension how they will celebrate Eid if the workers do not get their salaries and bonus after completing their work this month.
The owners must understand and realise that due to rising commodity prices, the workers cannot properly celebrate the occasions with the little amount of money. In such cases, consultation is needed among the factory owners, trade union leaders and workers so that any kind of untoward incident can be avoided.
The government has already instructed the factory and industry owners to pay the bonus and salaries and all dues of workers and staff before the beginning of the public holidays marking the Eid-Ul-Fitr. State Minister for Labour and Employment Nazrul Islam Chowdhury said RMG workers would get their salary and festival bonus before the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
It is a strict directive from the government for the owners. Earlier owners, employees, and the government have already discussed various issues together. There is no sense of dissatisfaction among the workers ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Both owners and workers should work together to solve their problems in a friendly environment. It would be highly appreciated if the owners pay the full month salary for March as the Eid will be held in the second week of April.We hope that the owners will pay workers’ salaries and festival bonuses as early as possible. Simultaneously, the workers should not to create any indiscipline by blocking the roads and highways.
