More than 350 garment units across the country have been identified as ‘vulnerable’ to labour unrest over payment of wage and festival allowance, officials said. Already there are some outbreaks of protests at the factories, even in the capital, they said, adding that some groups of workers already demonstrated demanding arrears, wages and festival allowance by 20th of Ramadan. Recently two government agencies have sent two separate lists of some 360 garment factories to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) saying that labour unrest over payment of monthly wages, arrears and festival allowance might occur at those units. The agencies requested the apparel apex body-BGMEA-to take necessary measures to avert any untoward incidents before Eid. BGMEA, however, differed with the number of factories mentioned by the government agencies. According to industry insiders and officials, the majority of these factories are engaged in subcontracting, and in recent times, they are passing through hard times for lack of work orders amid the persisting dilemma caused by safety and compliance issues. “We received two lists from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and the commerce ministry that mentioned 108 and 250 garment factories respectively where problems might arise over payment of wages and festival allowance,” Mahmud Hasan Khan, vice president of BGMEA, told the FE. The BGMEA also monitors some 1,000 or 1,200 garment factories before Eid, he said, adding that the number mentioned by the authorities concerned might not so high. “We will sit with the government ministry concerned this week to discuss the issue,” he said, adding that BGMEA will check its monitoring report with that of two lists and will communicate with the units in this regard how to address the problems if any. The labour ministry in a meeting last month asked the garment makers to pay festival allowance by 20th of Ramadan and pay monthly wage before Eid. Labour leaders from Bangladesh Garments Sramik Odhikar Andolan, a platform of 12 workers’ unions in the ready-made garment (RMG) sector, at a rally in front of the National Press Club Friday last alleged that many (RMG) factory owners have been trying to evade paying even the wages of June, let alone arrears and festival allowance. The workers of those factories are concerned over getting their dues ahead of Eid and the owners must ensure the payment by 20th of Ramadan at any cost, they said. If any unstable situation is created over non-payment of wages, the owners will be held responsible for that, they added. President of Bangladesh Textile Garments Sramik Federation Mahbubur Rahman Ismail said though the incidents of non-payment of wage declined in recent years, there are still a good number of factories where workers are worried over getting their monthly wages and festival allowance. “We demand at least the allowance is paid by 20th Ramadan so that workers can buy their tickets to go home and have some shopping and monthly wage before Eid,” he noted. According to BGMEA, more than 4,296 factories are listed with the association while more than 1,100 remain closed or have no existence.
