DESPITE promises from all apparel sector stakeholders, some factories are yet to clear the workers’ monthly wage and the festival allowance for the forthcoming Eid-ul-Fitr. The Industrial Police and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association report that 2,069 factories among 2,107 units in operation have already paid the February wages and are now in the process of making partial payment for March and the festival allowance. Workers of several factories in Gazipur and Chattogram, meanwhile, took to the streets demanding due wages. Giant Knit Fashions Ltd in Gazipur declared closure without paying workers their wages. For the past two days, several hundred workers of at least five factories have sat in in front of the Department of Labour building in Dhaka demanding due wages. An agitating worker of Stylecrafts Limited reportedly suffered a heart attack at the sit-in and died when he was taken to the nearest hospital. It is unacceptable that workers would have to take to the streets, even die untimely death, in demanding their wages.
Every year, the management of a number of factories dilly-dallies in paying the festival allowance, prompting labour unrest. This year too, workers have already taken to the streets. While the owners try to justify the delay, citing liquidity crisis or other similar constraints, workers allege that the factory management intentionally withholds the payment until the last minute, fearing that they would take leave, without making the product shipment deadlines, for their families in outlying areas. Whatever may be the reason for this dilly-dallying of the payment, the labour ministry should already have had a mechanism in place to ensure that workers were paid their dues in time. It is not just the festival allowance. The apparel industry has a tendency to delay the payment of monthly wages. Earlier this month, an apparel worker reportedly died in a factory as his supervisor denied her sick leave. Women workers regularly complain that instead of granting them a maternity leave with due benefits, they are often forced to resign. Labour organisers blame the ministry for the recurring failure of the factory management in paying dues before Eid or the denial of other employment benefits as they have no leverage over the owners’ association.
Industry owners’ violation of labour law regarding the timely payment of wages has become a common practice. There has, however, hardly been any instance of holding the factory management to account for failing to perform their duties as employers. This bias is detrimental to resolving the crisis at hand as well as any long-term improvement in industrial relations. In immediate terms, the government should take early steps to ensure the payment of due wages and festival allowance.
