Unpaid workers ransack RMG factory

Garment workers, demanding salary arrears, yesterday ransacked their factory in Gazipur.

Around 750 workers of Esteem Wears Ltd, located in Ujilab area of Sreepur, also blocked Sreepur-Mawna road for nearly two hours.

The demonstrators alleged that they did not get their September and October salaries yesterday, as promised by the authorities.

However, the authorities claimed otherwise. General Manager (Operation) Rajib Chandra Kuri said only 15 days' arrears of September were due.

The workers did not have to work during those days, he claimed.

Denying the claims, the demonstrators demanded payment for the 15 days, since they were present at work on those days.

According to an October 25 pledge made by the factory authorities, the workers were supposed to be paid yesterday.

In the morning, the workers were told that they would be paid in the afternoon, prompting them to engage in altercations with the factory officials.

Noticing heavy police presence when the workers went to the factory for payment, they became suspicious and confronted the officials over their intension.

The workers said such a move is unusual and it aroused fear of violence. The authorities, however, said they took the measure for security reasons.

Being agitated, a number of workers damaged various equipment of the factory.

Gazipur Industrial Police Inspector Iskandar Habib said police drove the vandals out of the factory.

Later, the workers  blockaded the road till around 4:00pm. They withdrew their blockade at the assurance, made by  Additional Superintendent of Industrial Police Saheb Ali Pathan, that their payment will be made by next Monday.