The Tuba Sramik Sangram Committee (TSSC) on Tuesday threatened to announce tougher programme like hartal if all unpaid salaries and allowances and Eid bonus were not paid by today (Wednesday).
The agitating workers gave the warning during their besiege programme of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association’ (BGMEA) Bahaban on the day. The programme started around 11:45am and continued till 1:40pm. The law enforcers intercepted the workers to reach the Bhaban at Karwan Bazar in the city.
The workers have been observing a hunger strike at Hossian Market in the city’s Middle Badda for over a week.
Police used mild batons charge on some workers when they tried to besiege the BGMEA Bhaban, sources said.
The incident of scuffle also took place when police resisted a procession brought by some 300 workers of Tuba Group, and some left leaning party activists under the banner of Garments Sramik Sangram committee.
The agitated workers tried to break police barricade on the main gate of the BGMEA Bhaban at 11:40am and chanted slogans in support of their demands.
The five factories under the Tuba Group are Tuba Fashion, Tuba Textile, Mita Design, Taif Design and Bughsan Garments. The group needs around Tk4.13 crore to pay all off the outstanding dues to the workers.
Their five-point demands are immediate payment of unpaid wages, clearance of overtime dues and Eid bonuses, to keep the factories open so that the 1,600 workers can work, compensation for workers who have fallen ill, the scraping of Tuba Group Managing Director Delwar Hossain’s bail for justice and compensation for the victims of Tazreen Fashions fire.
Earlier, the agitating garment workers of Tuba Group on Monday afternoon vowed to continue their demonstration rejecting the authorities’ assurance of payment of two months’ wages on Wednesday.
The workers continued their hunger strike unto death for the ninth consecutive day on Tuesday demanding payment of their unpaid salary and allowances.
They have been on hunger strike on the sixth floor of a factory at Hossain Market in the city’s Badda area since the day before the Eid demanding payment four months’ arrear salaries and bonus.
On Sunday, the workers of five garment factories of Tuba Group rejected the BGMEA decision of paying their dues in two phases.
Raman Police Station’s Investigation Officer Mohammad Selim said that additional police have been deployed in and around the BGMEA Bhaban to avert any untoward incident.
