Labour leaders demand salary, bonus by Aug 5

Labour leaders yesterday urged garment factory owners to pay out worker salaries, overtime payments and festival bonuses by August 5, ahead of the Eid festival.
Some garment owners may not pay full salary for July and overtime payments, which could create troubles in the sector, Amirul Haque Amin, chairman of Bangladesh Garment Workers Unity Council, said at a rally in front of the National Press Club.
They also urged the owners not to terminate any worker before the Eid because such a step would cause unrest in the sector, Amin said.
The owners should pay bonus, equal to basic salary of one month, to workers, he said.
“We will launch protests against owners if they are unwilling to pay full bonuses to the workers,” he said.
The government on July 21 also asked factory owners to clear payments of wages and festival bonuses by August 6. “If the workers do not get their salary before the Eid, they will be deprived of their right to a better life,” said Salauddin Swapan, secretary of BGWUC.