At least 13 workers out of about 300 staff and employees who are on hunger strike for last five days as part of their peaceful protest programme to realise arrear salaries and wages, fell sick on Friday and were hospitalized.
Confirming the matter, Officer in-Charge (OC) of Badda Police Station MA Jalil told The New Nation that the workers fell sick in the morning while observing the hunger strike.
“They were shifted to the hospital for treatment,” he added.
He also said that fifty workers fell ill on Thursday afternoon following the continuous hunger strike, with ten of them being hospitalised.
Unpaid for three months, staff and employees of Tuba Group are observing ‘fast-unto-death’ in the premises of Tuba Group’s five RMG units, housed in the 12-storey ‘Hossain Market’ in the city’s Uttar Badda, since July 27, to press home their demands.
Apart from the hunger strike, about 1600 workers the Group have been observing various other programmes since they remain unpaid.
Tuba Group, owned by Delwar Hossain, who is also the Managing Director of Tazreen Fashions Limited that was burnt down in November 2012 killing 116 workers.
Meanwhile, the striking workers of Tuba Group on Friday announced fresh programmes rejecting the proposals of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
The workers fresh programme includes five-point charter of demands.
The Garments Sramik Oikya Forum president Mushrefa Mishu announced the programmes on behalf of the workers and placed the five-point charter of demands.
The demands include immediate payment of arrear wages of past three months and festival allowance, keeping all the units of Tuba Group running to ensure employment of the workers, ensuring physical and psychological treatment to the workers who fell sick during the hunger strike, cancelling the bail of Tuba Group Managing Director Delwar Hossain and award him death sentence, and ensuring total compensation for the injured workers and the families of those who remain missing till date in the 2012 deadly fire at Tazreen Fashions.
Mushrefa Mishu also announced formation of ‘Tuba Group Sangram Committee’ to implement the movement farther. She also said there would be demonstration of workers in front of Tuba Group in Central Badda on Saturday to press for the demands.
The Democratic Left Alliance, a combine of eight left leaning political parties, The Socialist Party of Bangladesh, The Communist Party of Bangladesh and eleven other left-leaning organisations extended their solidarity to the movement of the apparel workers.
Earlier on Thursday BGMEA said the problems in Tuba Group would be solved in seven working days and urged the workers to keep restraint.