Workers block Dhaka-Munshiganj road demanding arrears
Hundreds of workers of Abanti Colour Tex Ltd, an export-oriented factory of Crony Group, blocked Dhaka-Munshiganj regional road in Narayanganj demanding salaries for the month of March.
They came out of the factory located at BSCIC and blocked the road around 9:30am.
The demonstration was continuing till 11:30am when the report was filed.
A two-kilometre-long tailback was created on the busy road as the workers blocked the road using bamboo and wooden sticks.
Several teams of Industrial Police and Fatullah Model Police Station have been deployed on the road to control the situation.
While talking to The Daily Star, workers of Abanti Colour Tex Ltd said before the Eid-ul-fitr, they were paid only the bonus (half of the monthly wage) but the factory authorities did not give them the monthly salary of March.
Md Masud, an operator of the sewing section of the factory, said the factory closed for the Eid holidays on April 8 and the authorities gave a commitment to pay the wage through mobile banking services but they did not, he said.
"I kept checking my mobile phone even on Eid day, expecting the salary. You can't imagine how we spent our Eid with family members.
"We had no Eid this year as we weren't paid our salaries. I couldn't go to my village on Eid vacation. We have to take to the streets every time to get the wages of our hard work. Are we human or something else?" asked Sumaiya, another operator of the factory.
However, the situation is in under control, the workers are not making causing any trouble, said Taslim Uddin, inspector (investigation) of Fatullah Model Police Station.
"The workers are just blocking the road demanding payment of March, causing at least a 2km long traffic jam. The Dhaka-Munshiganj road is a busy road. We are trying to contact the factory owner to solve the problem."
At least 7,000 workers are employed at the factory owned by AH Aslam Sunny.
Contacted, Sunny told The Daily Star, "We have paid the Eid bonus to all workers. But the salary for the month of March remains unpaid. The factory has just opened, I will pay everyone's salary by next Wednesday."
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