The workers of Tuba Group vowed to lay siege to Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Bhaban in Dhaka today (Tuesday). They also decided to hold rallies and bring out processions in every Readymade Garment (RMG) industrial area across the county on the day demanding payment of unpaid salaries and Eid bonus. Rejecting all assurances given by the garment owners and the government, the workers continued their hunger strike unto death for the eighth consecutive day on Monday demanding payment of their unpaid salary and allowances. At least 153 workers have already become sick till yesterday afternoon due to the hunger strike beginning from the Eid day. Critically ill, at least 15 workers have already been admitted to different hospitals in the capital.
On the other hand, failing to lay siege to labour ministry in face of police resistance, leaders and activists of Gonotantrik Bam Morcha (GMC) staged a sit-in near secretariat in the capital on Monday.
Garment workers of Tuba Group have been on hunger strike on the sixth floor of a factory at Hossain Market in the city’s Badda since the day before the Eid demanding payment three months’ arrear salaries and bonus.
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.
Their five 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.
Yesterday, the eighth day of their mass hunger strike, they insisted that the owners must pay their three months’ due salaries and festival bonuses in full and immediately.
The workers’ announcement came around 6:30pm, one and half hours after the garment factory owners’ association the BGMEA had asked them to end their demonstration and return to work. Hours after the workers’ threat, BGMEA leaders at an emergency meeting on Monday afternoonb decided to pay the salaries to 1,600 workers from their own fund.
The RMG workers started the fast-unto-death on the seventh floor of Hossain Super Market at Pragati Sarani on July 28 demanding their unpaid salaries for the months of May, June and July and Eid bonus.
Health condition of at least seven workers deteriorated on Monday, said the medical team working for the labourers.
Earlier, in a press conference at the Hossain Super Market which houses three units of the group on Monday, Garment Workers Unity Forum president Moshrefa Mishu threatened to lay seize the BGMEA Bhaban at 11:00am.
In an instant reaction, Mishu, who has been fasting along with the RMG workers of Tuba Group since Monday, threatened to continue their programme rejecting the BGMEA’s assurance.
More than Tk 4.14 crore is needed to pay three months’ arrears and Eid bonus to 1,600 workers of the Group.
Both the BGMEA and Tuba management had applied for bank loans to pay the workers. But the applications were rejected for failure to provide a guarantee from Group’s Managing Director Delwar Hossain, who has been in jail since February 9 for his role in Tazreen fire that killed 112 people in November 2012. GBM Coordinator Suvrangshu Chakravarty told Monday’s rally that they would call for a countrywide strike and blockade if the garment factory workers’ dues were not cleared by Wednesday.
The left party alliance organised a human chain in front of the National Press Club, before the police stopped their procession, which intended to siege the labour ministry.
