Staff Reporter :
Garment workers of several factories in Savar, Gazipur and Narayanganj continued demonstrating and blocking roads on the streets on Monday, demanding payment of their wages.
Apart from demonstrations, some workers were also reportedly assaulted on their way to collect their due wages in Savar.
In Savar, several workers were reportedly assaulted on Monday just before collecting their wages from an apparel factory in Ashulia’s Charabag area.
The 25 workers said they used to work at Align Apparels Ltd in Charabag, but were let go four months ago.
After several delays by factory management, they were told they would receive their final dues on Sunday.
When they reached the factory gates, they said supporters of local union parishad chairman Hossain Ali came from nowhere and beat them up before the workers could enter the factory to collect their dues.
Billal Sheikh, president of Garments Sramik Shanghati’s Ashulia unit, said 25 workers were on their way to Align Apparels Ltd, their former workplace, to collect their final dues when a group of miscreants attacked them, injuring at least 10.
A complaint was filed with Dhaka Industrial Police-1 in this regard, he added.
Rajon, admin manager of Align Apparels, refuted the
workers’ claims, adding they had shifted the date for paying the workers’ dues from Monday to Tuesday.
He said he did not hear of any assault on them.
Jaane Alam, assistant superintendent of Dhaka Industrial Police-1, said a complaint was filed regarding an assault on a group of workers.
The matter would be investigated and action would be taken against those responsible, he added.
Protests continue in Narayanganj, Gazipur
Workers of at least 11 apparel factories in Narayanganj and Gazipur continued demonstrating on the streets on Monday, demanding payment of wages.
In Narayanganj, workers of three apparel factories protested for their wages in Siddhirganj and Rupganj upazilas on Monday.
The protesting workers at one point blocked the Shimrail-Adamjee-Chashara road in Siddhirganj and the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Rupganj, Monday morning.
They later withdrew the blockade in the afternoon after police mediated on their behalf with factory owners, who promised to pay their due wages later in the day, said Mahmudul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Rupganj police station.
The workers belonged to Skintex Garments and Beka Garments in Siddhirganj, and Antim Knitting, Dyeing & Finishing Ltd in Rupganj.
Workers said most of them did not receive their wages for more than three months.
Later, when the factories closed down on March 26 amid the government-enforced shutdown, the authorities gave them several dates to give them their wages but failed to deliver until now.
In Gazipur, workers of eight garment factories protested for their due wages in Board Bazar, Shataish, and Kaliakair, on Monday.
The workers belonged to Consist Apparels in Board Bazar, MH Fashion in Shataish, Esko Woven Ltd, and five other factories.
Arif Raiyan, additional superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, said the protests in Board Bazar began after owners of the said factories failed to pay workers their wages.
Workers at one point blocked the nearby Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and continued demonstrating. Later, senior police officials contacted the respective factory authorities, who promised to clear the workers’ wages soon, after which the workers withdrew the blockade, he added.
According to BGMEA data, 23.89 lakh workers out of a total 24.72 workers have received their salaries for the month of March as of Monday.
The BGMEA claimed 96.64% of total workers got their salaries.
It said 94.68% or 2,153 factories out of 2,274 BGMEA member factories paid wages so far.
