Garment sector trade union leaders on Friday urged the government and factory owners to pay workers’ festival allowances by Ramadan 20, which falls on March 21.
They also demanded that the wages for March be paid before the Eid holidays and that workers be granted a five-day Eid vacation, similar to other service sectors.
This year, Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival for Muslims, is likely to be held on April 1.
Leaders of the Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre hold a rally in front of the National Press Club to press their demands.
Presiding over the rally, the organisation’s president, Mantu Ghosh, said that garment workers were among the lowest-paid labourers. If they did not receive their wages and festival allowances before Eid, they would be unable to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with their families, he said.
He urged the interim government and factory owners to ensure the payments by Ramadan 20.
GWTUC vice-president Joly Talukder called for an increase in garment workers’ wages to help them cope with the rising prices of essential commodities.
General secretary Sadequr Rahman Shamim demanded the introduction of a rationing system for garment workers, allowing them to purchase essential items at lower prices.
Central leaders of the organisation, including Ziaul Kabir Khokan, Dulal Saha, and Abdus Salam Babul, also spoke at the rally. The event was followed by a protest procession that paraded through different city roads.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Garment and Sweater Workers’ Trade Union Centre organised a rally in front of the Narayanganj Press Club on Friday.
Trade union leaders at the rally demanded Eid bonuses equivalent to workers’ basic wages. They also called on the government to ensure a five-day Eid holiday for workers, similar to that of public servants.
BGSWTUC general secretary Kazi Ruhul Amin said that many factories had outstanding wage arrears ahead of Eid.
‘Pay all arrears before Eid,’ he said, urging authorities to ensure that workers receive their full wages for March.