Wage arrears a bane for RMG protesters

Delayed salary payment from a handful of RMG factory owners triggered the latest bout of labour unrest. The string of protests that paralysed the industry and areas outside Dhaka in September had been quelled after owners accepted the 18-point demands of the workers.

In the latest bout of unrest, a group of workers blockaded the highway between Dhaka and Mymensingh at Gazipur, which is one of the main arteries for traffic, for over 53 hours. The blockade of a few thousand workers, all of them from the T&Z Group, predictably affected normal business activities in the area, which is a major business hub.

About 2,000 workers from five T&Z factories relented on the third day of their demos but resumed their blockade soon afterwards declaring that they would not leave without their pending salaries of three months.

Also, hundreds of workers from two factories of the Crony Group in Narayanganj's BSCIC industrial area blocked the Dhaka-Munshiganj road today, demanding unpaid wages.

The demonstration was still going on till the evening, causing significant disruption.

Authorities deployed a large contingent of police, army, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel to control the situation, said Mostafizur Rahman, an industrial officer of Narayanganj BSCIC.

Amid the unrest, some workers vandalised nearby factories, prompting many factory owners to shut down operations and send employees home before lunch as a precautionary measure.

Industrial officer Mostafizur said that at least 432 factories operate in the area, with most ceasing operations due to the ongoing unrest.

AHM Shafiquzzaman, secretary to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, said 19 garment factories were not paying salary on time. He explained that the reason might be that the owners are either in jail or are not in Bangladesh at all. It could also be that the factories have simply become insolvent.

Some factory owners are overburdened with bank loans and now that the banks are not eager to give further loans, those factories are in a fund crunch.

However, the labour ministry has already solved the problem of two of the 19 factories, the secretary said.

Amirul Haque Amin, president National Garment Workers Federation, said the financial condition of the garment workers is rather bad because of high inflation and moreover, they are not paid timely by the factory owners.

He explained that since the workers had not been paid for more than a couple of months, they have become desperate.

Md Towhidur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Apparels Workers Federation, also echoed Amin's views.

The workers are not even trusting the union leaders and factory owners as they were not paid despite numerous assurances.

Also, a section of workers as well as owners have been taking the opportunity of weak law and order situation, he added.

Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, immediate past president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said although the association urged them for timely payment, some owners did not pay heed.