Ctg RMG workers’ blockade causes 4km gridlock

Workers of three readymade garment factories of Clifton Group demanding arrears put barricade on the Bayezid Bostami Road in Chittagong city this evening that triggered around four kilometres gridlock.

Around 10,000 workers of Clifton Apparels, Clifton Deluxe Fashion and Clifton Textile and Apparels took to the street around 6:00pm demanding their dues before Eid-ul-Azha, the workerssaid.

No vandalism was carried out by the workers, Sub-Inspector Shamim Sheikh of Bayezid Police Station told our Chittagong correspondent.

Mobarak Hossain, a worker of Clifton Deluxe Fashion, said,“As per the company rule a worker gets a ‘rest day’ for working 18days at a stretch. If the worker attends work on that day, the company pays overtime for that day. These wages of the ‘rest days’ have been dues since 2013.

“The authorities assured us of paying the dues of the last two years before the Eid-ul-Azha but we are yet to get it.So,the workers decided to go for demonstration.”

ManiruzzamanMasum, president ofWorkers’ Trade Union of Clifton Textile and Apparels, said they had informed the industrial police and BGMEA about the dues but got no result.

Contacted, Inspector Mamtaz Uddin of Chittagong Industrial Police said he was not sure whether the workers had communicated with the Industrial Police authorities in this regard.

“We are trying to convince themthrough a negotiation between the owners and the workers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nasir Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, first vice-president of the BGMEA, said, “Salaries are regularly paid by the factories and the workers have started demonstration for the benefit which is usually paid once a year or two year.

“I have talked to the owners.They said they would pay the benefits of the workers immediately.”