Garment workers in Ashulia, on the outskirts of Dhaka city, staged a demonstration today (2 June) by blocking a road to demand the immediate reopening of their factory and payment of due wages.
The workers of Ssain Apparels Limited began the protest around 9:30am at Amtola intersection in the Kathgora area, blocking the Kathgora-Bishmail regional road.
They also demanded full settlement of dues under labour law if the factory remains shut. The factory has reportedly been closed since February this year.
The protest, however, was called off around 11:30am following intervention from Industrial Police officials.
Speaking to The Business Standard, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan of Industrial Police-1 said, “Before the last Eid, we had to sell factory assets with great difficulty to arrange payments for the workers. The factory is still under layoff.”
“The problem now is that the owner is not in the country. The workers are not accepting the layoff status, although they are entitled to benefits under the labour law. As the owner is not available, resolving the issue has become difficult,” he added.
According to the workers, the factory had initially been declared under layoff for various periods since February. Recently, a notice announced an indefinite closure. However, despite the layoff status, workers have not received their partial salary for February, or any payment for March and April.
They also said the factory authorities have not shared any plans regarding its reopening.
One worker, Ashik, told TBS, “If the authorities don’t want to reopen the factory, they should at least pay our full dues. There’s no justification for keeping us hanging like this. We’re not even receiving layoff payments.”
He also said that around 1,800 workers are currently employed by the factory.
Workers also recalled that on the night before Eid, their Eid bonuses and 20 days’ salary for February were paid with the help of the Industrial Police and the army. Since then, no further payments have been made by the factory owners.
Multiple attempts to contact the factory’s Managing Director Mozammel Hossain were unsuccessful, as his phone remained switched off.
