Sidco Group terminates 165 workers from Ashulia garment factory

The workers of Sidco Group have alleged that the apparel maker terminated 165 employees from its factory at Jamgora in Ashulia as they demonstrated to demand last month's salary.

Yesterday, the factory authorities put up a notice with photographs of the terminated workers in front of the factory gate.

The workers also alleged that the company has not been paying salaries to its 600 workers on time for the last couple of months.

The workers started protesting when the authorities ended the day without paying them on October 11, the deadline for clearing the salaries for September, they told The Daily Star.

Instead of clearing the payments, the company shut down the factory on October 13 and later reopened it as the workers began protesting in front of the factory gate.

But this time the factory authorities came up with a notice with the pictures and names of the terminated workers, one of the workers said.

"The authorities did not give any notice before terminating us," he said.

Despite repeated attempts through phone calls and text messages, this correspondent could not reach Nazrul Islam, assistant general manager of Sidco Group, for comments.

The authorities of Sidco Group illegally terminated the workers as they demanded salary, said Sarowar Hossen, organising secretary of the Bangladesh Textile and Garment Workers League.

The factory also filed a general diary with the local police station to harass the workers, he said.

"We have informed the industrial police as well as the officials of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association about the incident."

Contacted Helal Uddin Bhuyan, senior assistant superintendent of police of the Dhaka Industrial Police, said he is aware of the incident and they are looking into the matter.

The police will sit with the factory authorities and the workers to settle the matter today, he said.