Workers protest on amid unpaid wages

Staff Reporter :

For the second consecutive day, hundreds of workers from Seasons Dresses Limited continued their sit-in protest outside Srom Bhaban in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar, demanding immediate payment of over Tk5 crore in unpaid wages and bonuses. The unrest began Sunday morning, with protesters confining one of the factory owners inside the building and vowing not to leave until their demands are met.

Chanting slogans and occupying surrounding streets, the workers—many of whom traveled from Gazipur, where the factory is located—accused the management of abandoning its responsibilities. “We’ve worked hard, and now we are left starving while Eid passes us by without pay,” said one protester.

According to Kabir Hossain Hawlader, organizing secretary of the Bangladesh Garment Workers Trade Union Federation, the factory owes at least Tk5 crore in two months of back pay, covering 1,200 employees, including two unpaid bonuses. If the factory is shut down, the liability could rise to Tk20 crore, he said.

A tripartite meeting scheduled for Sunday at 10am—meant to include workers, factory owners, and government officials—failed to produce any results. While workers arrived on time, only one of four owners was present. Key representatives from the bank holding the factory’s mortgage and senior government officials did not attend.

During the meeting, one owner reportedly claimed an inability to pay the dues, prompting workers to walk out and resume their protest outside. Officials from the Industrial Police and the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments were present, but could offer no concrete resolution.

Md Shafiul Alam, central assistant organizing secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, said on Monday morning that workers were left with no choice but to stage a prolonged sit-in. “If no assurance comes by the end of the day, we will announce stricter programs, including possible road blockades,” he warned.