Workers' wages cleared: BGMEA

With just a day to go before Eid-ul-Azha, the leaders of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) yesterday said the owners of the trade body's member factories have completed paying workers.

At a press conference in the association's office, Moinuddin Ahmed, first vice president, said 15 BGMEA committees closely monitored some 700 factories for a month over apprehension that they might miss making the salary and bonus payments on time.

The BGMEA lobbied with banks to obtain emergency funds for 21 of the most vulnerable factories while its crisis management committees worked alongside government monitoring committees across the country, Ahmed said.

He said some factories paid salaries of the days worked in the current month as per the direction of Mujibul Haque Chunnu, state minister for labour and employment.

The owners also announced holidays for workers in phases so that they do not face any transport crisis.

As of yesterday, some 90 percent of the factory owners declared the Eid vacation while the rest will implement it from today, said Mohammed Nasir, another vice president of the BGMEA.

“Every worker will be able to go home with salaries and bonuses to celebrate Eid with their near and dear ones,” he said.

Garment workers do take to the streets ahead of Eid to realise salaries and bonuses. Some small-scale incidents of unrest took place over demands for timely payments this year too.

One such unrest at a Gazipur factory was contained through negotiations of industrial police with the owners.