Leaders of various garment workers’ rights bodies held separate rallies in Dhaka on Saturday, calling on the Awami League government and the garment factory owners to ensure that workers received their wages and festival allowances by June 10.
Garments Sramik Odhikar Andolan, a combine of garment workers’ rights bodies, organised a rally in front of the National Press Club, chaired by Mahbubur Rahman Ismail.
Garment workers’ labour leader Mushrefa Mishu said that the workers, who were low-paid, would not be able to enjoy the Eid festival if they did not receive their wages and festival allowances before Eid-ul-Azha, likely to be celebrated on June 17.
She called on the government and garment factory owners to take steps to pay wage and festival allowance of the workers before June 10 before Eid-ul Azha, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslims likely to be celebrated on June 17.
She urged both the government and garment factory owners to take steps to ensure timely payments by June 10.
Other speakers at the rally included garment labour leaders Raju Ahmed, Mahmud Hossain, Babul Hossain, and Fayez Hossain.
Earlier, Garment Sramik Samhati held another rally in front of the National Press Club, chaired by its president Taslima Akhter.
She said that their organisation had been holding a series of rallies and processions in Ashulia and Gazipur, demanding the payment of wages and festival allowances by June 10.
‘Our organisation will hold tougher movements if the workers are not paid by the announced date’, warned Taslima.
General secretary Babul Hossain, central leader Anjan Das, and others also spoke at the rally.
The rally concluded with a protest procession that paraded up to the Purana Paltan crossing.
Meanwhile, the industrial police convened a meeting with the textile and garment sector leaders, emphasising the importance of ensuring the payment of wages and festival allowances before Eid-ul-Azha to avert potential unrest.
In a statement, the industrial police disclosed list of several factories, where issues concerning wage and festival allowance payments could arise.
They urged the respective trade bodies and factories to explore alternative solutions in case of any delays in wage disbursements.
On May 15, the government issued a directive, requiring all factory owners to fulfil their obligation of paying monthly wages and festival allowances to workers, before the commencement of the Eid holiday.
During the 18th meeting of the tripartite consultative committee on the RMG industry, state minister for labour Md Nazrul Islam Chowdhury urged factory owners not to terminate any workers or declare unit layoffs ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.