RMG workers block road in CEPZ demanding salaries, bonuses

Hundreds of workers from a ready-made garments factory today blocked the road at the Freeport intersection of the Chattogram EPZ and Patenga to Outer Ring Road for seven hours over the failure of arrear payments despite assurances.

As a result, severe traffic congestion was reported on both the Agrabad-Patenga and Patenga-Ring roads since 2:00pm.

According to workers and police, the factory management had promised to clear the dues today. However, even after waiting in front of the factory from morning till 2:00pm, they got no response. Later, hundreds of workers took to the streets demanding immediate payments of salaries and bonuses.

Abdullah Al Mahmud, superintendent of police of Chattogram Industrial Police, said the workers' protest led to heavy traffic congestion on both sides of the busy road.

He said "We are considering the matter from a humanitarian perspective and do not want to take a hardline approach against the workers."

"We are in constant communication with the factory management. They are still assuring us that the payments will be made soon," Mahmud added.

Speaking to The Daily Star, two workers from the factory said the authorities had paid only 60 percent of the bonus before last Ramadan, and since then no wages or bonuses have been cleared. They continued working at the factory with the hope of receiving their April and May salaries and Eid bonuses by last Sunday, as promised by the management.

However, when the payment was not made on Sunday, they stopped working and have been staging protests for the past two days, workers said.

Md Bakhtiar, a worker employed at the factory since 2021, said, "Wage and bonus payments used to be regular since 2021 but irregularities began earlier this year. I haven't received my salary or bonus for the last two months.

"With Eid approaching, I don't know how I'll celebrate it with my family," he added.

CEPZ Executive Director (ED) Md Abdus Sobhan told The Daily Star "Discussions are ongoing with the owners, who have been trying to secure a bank loan since the morning.

"The factory owners told us that they remained at the bank until 5:00pm but they still cannot confirm when the workers will be paid. As a result, we are unable to give workers any assurance."

Police said they left the road finally around 9:00pm. "There are still in the CEPZ and talks are ongoing with the authorities concerned."