Unpaid wages: RMG workers end Dhaka-Mymensingh highway blockade

Workers of five TNZ Group garment factories ended a three-day blockade of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway over back pay last night.

The traffic situation became normal around 10:00pm when the workers left, said Gazipur Traffic Police Inspector Abdullah Al Mamun.

Mosharraf Hossain, an assistant superintendent of police at Gazipur Industrial Police, told The Daily Star that the workers agreed to leave after the authorities in a meeting at the labour ministry decided to pay the wages for the month of September by November 17. The wages for October will be given by November 30. 

The workers launched the protest on Saturday morning after the factory authorities missed several deadlines for the payments.

Photo: Collected

Traffic on the highway returned to normal briefly around 2:15pm yesterday as the workers left the place at the request of police who promised to mediate a discussion between the owner and the workers.

The workers then gathered outside their factories with the hope of receiving their payment, but the owner sought to clear the dues within one week.

"The workers rejected the offer and demanded that the arrears be paid by today [Monday]," said ASP Mosharraf.

They became agitated again and resumed the blockade around 4:00pm, he added.

Traffic on the highway remained halted in the evening as the workers refused to leave, said Faruk Hossain, inspector of Gazipur Industrial Police.

Traffic was also halted on Dhaka Bypass Road, causing immense public suffering as buses, trucks, and other vehicles were stuck in long tailbacks.

To ease the passengers' suffering, police rerouted Mymensingh-bound buses via Salna and regional roads, and diverted some vehicles from Gazipur's Shibbari via Kaliganj and Chandra, said Traffic Police Inspector Mamun.

Additionally, Dhaka-bound buses from Kishoreganj were diverted through Kapasia-Kaliganj-Tongi route, he said.

Speaking to The Daily Star around 9:00am, Dhaka-bound traveller Yasin Uddin Mia said, "I got off at Bhogra Bypass Junction and had to walk over a kilometre with my wife, children, and luggage. It's exhausting."

Sattar Miah, who was accompanying a patient in an ambulance, said, "We're going to Kishoreganj from Dhaka, but got stranded for around two hours at Tongi. The patient became sicker."

Ambia Khatun, who works at another factory, said she had to walk around four kilometres from her home in Boardbazar to her work in Gazipur's Konabari for the last three days. "I have no alternative to walking such a long distance," she told The Daily Star.

Around 2,000 workers from five TNZ Group factories -- TNZ Apparels Ltd, Basic Clothing Ltd, Apparels Plus, Basic Knitwear Ltd, and Apparel Art Ltd -- took part in the protests.

Police said the employer had agreed to pay September wages by November 3 and October wages by November 20 following negotiations mediated by the army on October 24 after the owner missed the initial deadline of October 23.

But on November 2, the factory authorities in a notice said September wages would be paid by November 7, and October wages by November 28.

As the authorities also missed the November 7 deadline and issued a notice apologising for the delay, the workers went for the blockade.

Contacted, Ziaul Kabir Khokon, president of the Garment Workers Trade Union Centre's Gazipur district unit, told The Daily Star that the workers were demanding immediate payment, stressing that their patience was running thin after repeated delays.

Officials of the factories could not be reached despite repeated attempts.

Meanwhile, hundreds of workers from two Crony Group factories in Narayanganj's BSCIC industrial area blocked the Dhaka-Munshiganj regional road yesterday for eight hours, demanding unpaid wages, reports UNB.

The blockade from 10:30am to 5:00pm caused immense suffering to travellers.

Mostafizur Rahman, an official of Narayanganj BSCIC, said at least 432 factories operate in the area, with most ceasing operations due to the unrest.

According to officials of the district administration, a case was lodged with the labour court on November 3 by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments over the payment of the workers' dues. A hearing will be held today.