RMG workers in uncertainty over Eid pay

Syed Shemul Parvez :
Unease grips RMG sector as concerns are mounting about potential unrest among garment workers as Eid-ul-Fitr approaches.

Industrial police reports indicate over 400 factories are struggling to secure funds for Eid salaries and bonuses, raising fears of worker protests and disruptions.

The garment industry has a history of pre-Eid unrest, often triggered by sudden factory closures, layoffs, and delayed salary and bonus payments.

Frustrated workers have resorted to road blockades, vandalism, and arson in past years to demand their dues.

An Industrial Police report identifies 416 garment factories nationwide as vulnerable to payment issues this Eid.

Financial constraints and lack of purchase orders are cited as primary reasons.

These factories include members of major associations like BGMEA, BKMEA, and BTMA, alongside independent units.

The simmering tension erupted on April 1st when workers at Keya Knit Composite Limited in Gazipur staged a protest.

They demanded payment of outstanding salaries, Eid bonuses, and accrued annual leave. Their protest blocked the Konabari-Kashimpur road, disrupting traffic flow.

Kashimpur Zone Industrial Police Additional Superintendent of Police Deepak Chandra Majumder confirmed the matter and said that the workers of that factory protested to demand payment of salary and Eid bonus for last February and March.

At one point they blocked the Konabari-Kashimpur road. On receiving the information, the police went to the spot and removed them from the road.

Earlier, on Thursday, hundreds of workers protested by blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Jainabazar area of Sreepur, Gazipur, demanding salary hike and full bonus on Eid.

It had also created a long traffic jam on both sides of the highway.

Meanwhile, the government has intervened, urging factories to prioritize Eid payments and refraining from layoffs.

However, the effectiveness of these directives remains to be seen.