Three more garment factories fall prey to sliding exports
The authorities of Savar-based Raquef Apparels Washing and Packaging Industry, Passion Jeans, and Passion Apparels and Ware announced the closure of their factories on Thursday because of continued losses amid falling exports.
This kind of factory closure has been a common phenomenon recently: only in Gazipur, some 178 small and medium garment factories shuttered in the last one year.
All three are owned by the same entity and it, however, has decided to keep open the washing unit of Raquef Apparels.
Earlier on the day, some 3,000-odd aggrieved workers and staff members of the factories took to the streets with a demand to clear their arrears, keeping the Hemayetpur-Singair road blocked for four hours.
The workers called off their demonstration later after the owner agreed to clear all the dues in three phases by March 29, said Rafiqul Islam Sujon, president of Bangladesh Garments and Shilpa Sramik Federation.
"We are okay if we get our salaries and other dues in time," Fazlul Haque, a staff of Passion Jeans, told The Daily Star yesterday.
The authorities have promised to give January's salary and allowance of workers and staffers by February 27 and February's salary (20 days), compensation and other benefits by March 29.
They also agreed to clear the dues of workers who recently have resigned or have been terminated from job by March 5.
The workers and staffers have accepted the decision, Sujon said.
However, the correspondent could not reach Shakil Mahmud, deputy general manager, for comment despite several attempts.
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