Workers salary and bonus to be paid by July 15: BGMEA

Every year the government and BGMEA give a deadline for the garment owners to deliver the wage and EID bonus to the workers. Generally, the deadline ends two or three days before the EID. This year BGMEA has instructed the owners to pay the wages and eid bonus by 15 July.

But every year though BGMEA gives direction, some of the company owners still don’t deliver wage and bonus in time. They give commitment that they will pay the workers but, at the end they don’t pay the money and it leads violent act and strike of the workers. As the workers don’t get paid they can’t enjoy the holy eid festival.

Movement for giving salary and bonus before EID

BGMEA vice president SHAHIDULLAH AZIM has said, they have already given strict order to the owners and they have listed the companies which are in risk of worker strike for due payment. To prevent such uncomfortable and violent situation BGMEA has listed these companies with the help of the industrial police, Dhaka Metropolitan police (DMP) and secret service. BGMEA also has formed a monitoring cell and 8 monitoring team along with their crisis management cell. For efficient monitoring BGMEA has selected 8 zones to be monitored, listed as Gazipur, Savar, Ashulia, Valuka, Konabari, Malibag, Fatullah and Tongi.

SHAHIDULLAH AZIM has said 45 companies in Dhaka and 29 in Chittagong has been identified which might unable to pay because of capital crisis.

Last year Eid-Ul- Fitar was 29 July and government holiday began the previous day. Government ordered the wage to be paid by 29 July. But many companies did not pay eventually. 1500 workers of TUBA garment at Badda performed 11 day hunger strike for the delay of payment of wage and bonus.

Export oriented countries more or less pay their workers timely. Main problem is the small and sub contracting companies. This year this possibility can’t be denied. Special branch of police has reported that 111 companies didn’t pay the wage of last may.

BGMEA leaders have said, “We don’t want to see the same situation again and we have already requested the central bank to keep the commercial banks open and requested the government to allow the trouble free transportation for the products”.

Bangladesh garment workers union’s president SIRAZUL ISLAM RONY has said, every year BGMEA a form monitoring cell and take initiatives but this problem still remains. He requested the BGMEA authorities to work from now on and work cordially to eradicate this problem.

Reported by-
Tanvir Hossain
Reporter of Textile Tribune
Shahid Aziz Hall
Bangladesh University of Textiles
Email: tanviranikbutex@gmail.com

3:54 AM