The owners of readymade garment (RMG) factories have agreed to pay Eid bonus to their workers by September 20, State Minister for Labour and Employment Affairs Mujibul Haque Chunnu said yesterday. “The RMG factory owners also agreed to pay the workers salary for 15 days of the current month,” the state minister said while talking to reporters after a ‘crisis management’ meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat. Labour and Employment Affairs Secretary Mikail Shipar, leaders of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), RMG factory owners, and representatives of workers’ organisations attended the meeting. “There is no provision in law to pay Eid bonus. But how the workers will return home empty handed? So, whatever the provision of the law is, we have requested the RMG factory owners to pay bonus and they agreed. The workers will get bonus by September 20,” Chunnu said. Even, there is no provision to pay the salary of a running month for Eid but the owners have agreed after discussion to pay their workers half of the current month’s monthly salary before Eid-ul-Azha, he added. “Those factories which are suffering fund crisis or do not have enough work orders will have to pay 10 per cent salary through understanding with the workers,” the state minister said. The meeting also decided to announce Eid holidays in phases for the workers after September 20 to avoid pressure on buses, trains and launches. “The decision is taken so that our workers can celebrate Eid with their family members and relatives after smooth journey in a good atmosphere,” he said.
