Tuba workers threaten protests if dues not cleared by today

Organisations of workers in the apparel sector plan to launch massive protests, including countrywide work abstention, from this week, unless the demands made by the agitating workers of five Tuba Group factories are met by today (Sunday).

Seeking anonymity, a labour leader at the protest rally of the workers Saturday said they would launch a tougher movement, including work abstention at each apparel unit all over the country from the current week if the payments of protesting workers are not paid by tomorrow (Sunday).

"We don't want to call any such programme as we're in favour of smooth functioning of the factories. But we have no alternative," he said.

Leaders of 20 organisations of workers, mostly left-leaning ones, have already expressed their solidarity with the unpaid Tuba workers, who have been on a hunger strike for the last six days at their workplace at Badda in the capital.

More than 15 other organisations sat in an emergency meeting to discuss about the crisis, which could lead to serious trouble in the country's highest foreign currency earning sector.

Tuba Group Sramik Sangram Committee, a special body formed Friday last by the protestors, has already started spreading the wave of protest to other industrial belts in a bid to press home their demands.

The agitating workers have set a fresh deadline for meeting their five-point demand at the protest rally held on Saturday.

Different groups of workers, political leaders, rights activists and civil society members raised their voice in favour of the 1,600 striking workers of the five Tuba Group units, as they have been going unpaid since May last.

Talking to the FE, a key member of the committee Taslima Akhter Lima, convener of the Bangladesh Garment Sramik Sanghati (BGSS), said they had been maintaining communications with other labour groups in different industrial belts to ensure their participation in the ongoing protest.

"We're receiving good response from them," she said.

When contacted, President of Bangladesh Textiles Garment Workers' Federation Mahbubur Rahman Ismail said the owner of Tuba Group and the BGMEA were responsible for the situation.

He said BGMEA spent millions to ensure release of Tuba Group's managing director Delwar Hossain but it had nothing to spend when it came to clearance of arrears and other financial benefits of the workers.

"We need to launch a tougher movement across the apparel industrial belts to put pressure on the manufacturers in respect to payment of the dues of the workers," he added.

Around 1,600 workers of the Tuba Group units have been on a hunger strike since July 27 last demanding three months' wage arrears, overtime bills and festival allowances.

The overall dues of the workers will run as high as Tk 45.69 million and the five units are Tuba Textile Mills, Taif Design, Mita Design, Bugshan Garments and Tuba Fashions.

President of Jago Bangladesh Garments Sramik Federation Bahrain Sultan Bahar said they had sat with more than 15 labour organisations to take a decision after analysing the situation.

"Hopefully, we'll reach a decision by tomorrow (Sunday)," he said, adding that the release of Delwar Hossain would create further trouble in the apparel industrial belts.

During the protest Saturday the workers gave the management and the BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) a 24-hour ultimatum for clearing their dues.

They also warned the government and apparel makers of dire consequences in the event of failure to meet the deadline.

The ultimatum was given at a protest rally arranged by Tuba Group Sramik Sangram Committee in front of the Hossain Super Market, which houses three units of Tuba Group at Modhya Badda in the capital.

Labour leaders, rights activists, political leaders and civil society members attended the rally and expressed their solidarity with the agitating workers.  

Criticising the role of BGMEA and the government to resolve the ongoing crisis, they said the BGMEA had created the problem to secure release of Delwar Hossain and the government responded well by granting bail to the owner who has been in jail in the case filed over the Tazreen Fashions fire that killed at least 112 workers.

Speaking at the rally Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) President Mujahidul Islam Selim said the garment factory owners were committing genocide by putting 1,600 workers' lives at risk.

He said the errant apparel group earned Tk 260 million (Tk 26 crore) through exporting FIFA World Cup jerseys.

"Where is the money, which can easily be used in clearing three months' arrears and festival allowances," he said.

"All the payments of the workers will have to be paid within next 24 hours, which will end today (Sunday) to avert any massive protest. I'll also urge all the labour groups, political parties and common people to stand beside the protestors in this connection," he said.

Expressing solidarity with the protesting workers, Anu Mohammad, chief of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port, urged the government to mount pressure on the owner of the Tuba Group and the BGMEA to meet the demands by the deadline.                  

"There is no other alternative but to launch a massive movement against the owners. We feel the presence of the government, only when it comes to protection of the apparel factory owners," he said.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Convener of Nagorik Oikya, said the workers needed to be further organised and should take to the streets to realise their rights.

"We don't want to see any more repression in the coming days as the apparel workers have been playing the key role in the country's economic development," he added.

Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) General Secretary Khalequzzaman and women's leader Khushi Kabir, among others, addressed the programme.