Several hundred readymade garment workers on Tuesday marched towards chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’s official residence Jamuna in the capital, demanding payment of their arrears.
The workers of factories owned by the TNZ Group and Ssain Apparels Ltd held demonstrations as the owners had shut down the factories without clearing their arrears.
Workers along with labour leaders began the march at about 2:45pm from in front of Shrama Bhaban, the headquarters of the Department of Labour at Bijoynagar, and thwarted by the police barricade near Jamuna, they staged a sit-in in front of Kakrail Mosque at about 3:00pm, while their representatives went to Jamuna to hold talks with government officials.
Vehicular movement on both sides of the road from Kakrail Mosque to Minto Road halted due to the sit-in which still continued when this report was filed at 8:00pm.
Protesters decided to continue their sit-in in front of the police barricade as there was no fruitful outcome from the discussion, National Citizen Party central convener for labour Mazharul Islam told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·.
He also said that the representatives of the workers met with Sabbir Ahmed, assistant private secretary to the chief adviser.
TNZ worker and labour leader Shohidul Islam said that the factory authorities as well as the government were repeatedly giving false assurances about clearing the workers’ dues.
Protesters said that the TNZ Group employed 5,219 workers in its eight factories with their total dues standing at over Tk 58 crore. They alleged that the group’s owner moved to Saudi Arabia long ago without paying the dues.
Factory authorities paid about Tk 3 crore in March before Eid-ul-Fitr amid protests, they further said.
Fahim Ahmed Chowdhury, general secretary of Democratic Students’ Council, said that to solve the problem the government in March formed a committee led by labour and employment ministry secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman.
But the factory authorities failed to comply with the committee’s instruction to pay the dues by May 7, they alleged.
Ssain Apparels Ltd operator Md Raihan said that nearly 2,200 workers were suffering as the factory was shut down in February without notice. Their wages remained due since January.
Pressing for arrears, the workers of TNZ Group began sit-in in front of Shrama Bhaban for the second time from May 12. They were joined by the Ssain Apparels workers from Tuesday.
Their first sit-in in front of Shrama Bhaban was staged from March 23 to 30.
