Industrial police and the apparel makers’ body found nearly 300 readymade garment (RMG) factories, mostly the sub-contracting ones, vulnerable to violence as they were yet to pay wages and bonuses to their workers. Sources at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Industrial Police (IP) said they kept nearly 450 such factories under their watch until Tuesday. Of them, 150 factory owners in the meantime agreed to clear their workers’ dues by Thursday (today). But the remaining 300 factories were yet to manage funds for paying the wages and bonuses of their workers, industrial police sources said. They were expected to pay the dues by July 14 as agreed in a tripartite meeting earlier. Both the BGMEA and the police authorities were in negotiation with the factory owners to ensure payment of the wages and bonuses. The factories that are found vulnerable to unrest are situated in five zones-Dhaka, Savar, Narayanganj, Ashulia and Chittagong. “We have succeeded in managing nearly 200 factory owners to arrange funds and clear payments of their workers including 15 days’ wages for July for their workers. But the payment in around 300 factories ahead of the Eid still remains uncertain,” IP director general Abdus Salam told the FE Wednesday. According to him, most of these sub-contracting factories are small capital-based and are not in a position to meet all the demands of the workers like wages for July and the bonus. “If the owners fail to manage funds to clear all the payments, then they may be forced to make the payment by selling their machinery. If they are unable, they could consult their main contractors or with the BGMEA leaders in time,” he added. “We will not accept any lame excuse just before the Eid,” he added. However, workers of some factories already staged demonstrations for wages and bonuses, he said. Some of the workers were also pressing for additional leave during the festival as many would go to their villages, but the owners were against granting such leave due to their tight lead time, Mr Salam said. However, BGMEA vice-president Shahidullah Azim said his association was in close contact with owners of the vulnerable factories that were struggling to pay the wages. “Our successful negotiation has helped bring down the number of vulnerable factories to less than 300. Now we are in negotiation with the labour leaders and the owners to find an amicable solution to the crisis,” he added. “If the factories are really unable to make full payment, then they will have to pay at least the wages for June apart from bonus,” he added. Replying to a question, the BGMEA leader told the FE they would show zero tolerance to non-payment of dues by the owners. “We are in talks with banks and some factory owners having direct contact with buyers to make full payment ahead of Eid and we hope we will be successful,” he added. “If everything goes accordingly, we are hopeful of clearance of payments by most of the garment factories by Thursday (today),” Mr Azim said. Bangladesh Apparel Workers Federation president Taohid Hossain said the IP and the BGMEA leaders had intentionally wasted time in the name of negotiation for payments. “If the factory owners fail to clear payments by Thursday, the situation may go beyond control,” he cautioned.
