Tuba owner to be forced to pay dues before Eid: Shipping Minister

This August photo shows female workers standing behind the collapsible gate of a factory owned by the Tuba Group in Badda of the capital. Police padlock the entrances of the factory so that the workers could not go out of the factory. Photo: Star

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan has said that the government would force the Tuba Group owner to pay arrears, overtime bills and festival bonuses of its workers before Eid-ul-Azha.

The labour leader also threatened that Delwar Hossain - the owner of the group would also be forced to reopen his five garment units to meet the workers' legitimate demands.

Khan was addressing a programme arranged by Garment Sramik Samanya Parishad demanding immediate resumption of the five factories of Tuba Group in front of the National Press Club today.

Khan also convenor of the Garment Sramik Samanya Parishad blasted the people who criticised him calling him an agent of the government instead of the workers.

"I am telling without any hesitation that we would ensure the rightful demands of the Tuba Group workers in exchange of our blood if necessary," he cautioned.

The workers of the five garment units of Tuba Group had been on a hunger strike since July 28 demanding payment of arrears, overtime bills and Eid bonuses.

Shohid, a Tuba Group employee who had been injured during police action on workers' demonstrations, is seen collecting two months' wages at the BGMEA Bhaban in the capital. They had been demanding three months' pay and Eid bonuses. Photo: Palash Khan

In the wake of the hunger strike, the garment makers' association gave two months' salaries from its office saying that Tuba Group would pay bonuses for the Eid-ul-Fitr and the rest of the arrears later.

But the Eid bonuses are yet to be paid.

On August 5, Delwar was freed from jail on bail. He later stopped his five garment factories in the face of financial crisis.

Delwar had been detained in jail since February in a case linked with a 2012 fire that killed 112 people at Tazreen Fashions, a garment unit of Tuba Group, in Ashulia on the outskirts of the capital.