Garments Sramik Sangram Parishad in the city on Monday demanded the garment owners to pay salaries and bonuses of all the workers before Ramadan 20. The RMG sector workers’ rights group came up with the demand at a human chain programme arranged in front of BGMEA Complex in the city’s Karwan Bazar. Coordinator of the rights group, Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, said the garment workers cannot observe the Eid like others as they don’t get their salary and bonus in time; the garment owners either make the payment before Eid day or after Eid. He said workers unrest would be raised if the salary and bonus have not been paid within Ramadan 20; if it happens, the government and BGMEA have to take the responsibility. Mentioning that there are 4 million garment workers in Bangladesh, he said every year living cost is increasing but the salary of the garment workers remains low. So the government as well as the garment owners should take initiatives to increase their salaries. Workers’ leaders at the programme also demanded to give bonus equivalent to basic salary. Garments Sramik Sanghati president Taslima Akter, and Bangladesh Garment Sramik Mukti Andolon president Shabnam Hafiz, among others were present at the programme.
