Pay workers' salaries before Eid

It is a sad reality that many factories fail to pay workers their salaries and bonuses before Eid. This has become a recurring issue in Bangladesh's garment industry in recent years. Workers who spend the entire year sewing clothes for others often find themselves unable to buy new clothes for themselves before Eid. Over the past week, protests have been taking place in various garment factories demanding unpaid wages and Eid bonuses.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), and the industrial police have confirmed this ongoing issue. According to reports published on Thursday (March 27), garment workers from TNZD Group have been protesting in front of the Sram Bhaban in Dhaka, demanding three months' worth of overdue wages and Eid bonuses. Most of these workers are women. In several districts, including Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Savar, around 43 garment factories are facing issues with paying workers' salaries and allowances.

The situation was supposed to be resolved through a tripartite consultation meeting to ensure that workers' salaries and bonuses would be paid before Eid, but these decisions have not been fully implemented. This week, protests involving road blockades and the besieging of BGMEA offices occurred. In response to this, the government has imposed a travel ban on the owners of 12 garment factories that were closed due to unpaid wages and compensation. These factories include ROR Fashion, Stylecraft, Young Ones, Dard Group, Mahmud Group, and TNZD Group.

Labour leaders have expressed that the government should have taken stronger action earlier to prevent the situation from escalating. Now, the government should either facilitate the sale or mortgaging of factory owners' properties or use BGMEA or BKMEA funds to pay the workers. If that is not possible, the government should ensure that workers receive their dues in the same manner as Beximco workers were paid.

It is highly unfortunate that workers' unpaid salaries, allowances, and bonuses are not being paid before Eid. Factory owners should have thought ahead about how their workers would spend the holiday with their families and children. The government should have taken strict actions against this issue much earlier. If this continues every year, it will have a negative impact on the country's garment industry. We demand that all factories pay their workers’ salaries, allowances, and bonuses before Eid, no matter what.