Staff Reporter :
Approximately one hundred workers from a garment factory in Gazipur staged a protest on Saturday morning, blocking the highway and demanding the clearance of unpaid salaries and the reversal of layoffs to allow the factory to reopen.
The protest, organised by employees of National Chemical Manufacturing Company Limited in the Borobari area under Gachha Police Station’s jurisdiction in Gazipur Metropolitan City, commenced due to grievances over unpaid wages.
Workers revealed that they have not received salaries for April and May this year, along with outstanding annual leave payments from the previous year, Eid bonuses, and the cessation of layoffs.
Initially gathering at the factory gate, the workers moved to protest alongside the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway until 11 a.m. Following a protest march, they returned to the factory gate. Around 1:30 pm, attempts to block the highway resulted in police intervention, dispersing the protesters after a 20-minute disruption of traffic.
Factory management attributed the layoffs, initiated since April, to financial constraints and previous instances of unrest among workers.
Ziaur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Gachha Police Station, stated, “Traffic was disrupted for approximately 10 minutes when agitated workers blocked the highway.
They were persuaded to clear the road, and the situation has since returned to normal. Discussions with factory authorities are ongoing regarding the workers’ demands.”
Instances of worker unrest over wage and bonus disputes ahead of Eid are not uncommon in the garment industry. Similar protests occurred recently at a denim processing plant in Chandina, Cumilla, where workers blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway.
The government has urged garment factory authorities to ensure timely payment of salaries, bonuses, and outstanding dues to facilitate a festive Eid celebration for all workers and their families.