Workers’ salaries, bonuses must be paid ahead of Eid

It is unfortunate that workers who work day and night to keep factories running have to protest year after year demanding salaries and bonuses.

Like every year, this year too, there has been workers’ dissatisfaction in various industrial areas ahead of the Eid. Some factory owners have announced layoffs.

This is cruelty to workers before the greatest religious festival of the Muslims.

According to media reports, workers have been protesting in various industrial areas of Gazipur and Savar for several days demanding salaries and Eid bonuses.

Sometimes they are protesting by closing factories and sometimes by blocking highways.

Workers’ dissatisfaction is high in factories in Gazipur and Ashulia areas.

Protests were held on Thursday by blocking the Dhaka-Tangail highway to protest the beating of a worker in Kaliakoir, Gazipur.

When the workers marched to the gates of various factories, authorities declared a holiday in at least 15 nearby factories.

This is very worrying news. Why should the factories be declared closed? If necessary, additional security should be provided in the relevant factories.

When the workers are protesting to demand their dues, the owners are closing their factories.

This is unacceptable in any way. The owners may have problems. But the solution is not to close the factory.

The solution must be found out through discussion. Not only production is being disrupted due to the labor movement, but passengers are also facing extreme hardship during the fasting days due to the workers’ blockade of roads and highways.

At a special meeting in Gazipur, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam has urged workers not to obstruct the movement of passengers during Eid by blocking roads.

The Labour Ministry, the IGP said, had decided that the workers’ arrears of February salaries, Eid bonuses, and partial salaries of March will be paid by the 20th of Ramadan that is by 21 March. We will always be by your side, stated the IGP.

The Eid holiday is at the end of March. But many factory workers have not even received their salaries for February. This is not fair to the workers.

There must be an assurance that all factory owners pay their workers’ salaries and bonuses before Eid. The government must also intervene if necessary.

All concerned must remember that a normal and peaceful environment can never be restored in industrial areas by depriving workers of their just dues.