Industrial Police have identified some 385 garment units in Ashulia, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chittagong as 'vulnerable' to labour unrest over payment of wage and festival allowance, sources said.
Already there are some outbreaks in factories, even inside the capital, they added.
"We have already shared our findings with all the authorities concerned, including ministries and apex apparel bodies - BGMEA, BKMEA and BTMA," Abdus Salam, director general of Industrial Police, told the FE Tuesday.
"We have also strengthened our monitoring to avert any untoward situation," he added.
According to industry-insiders and officials, majority of these factories are engaged in sub-contracting, 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.
They said a good number of factories inside the capital, especially at Mirpur, Malibag and Mohakhali, are outside the purview of Industrial Police vigilance. These units are yet to pay wage and festival allowance to their workers.
The situation in the port-city is worse, as some 96 factories located in Chittagong never pay festival allowance, they added.
Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar said his ministry and Industrial Police are jointly monitoring the situation. The number of non-paying factories is gradually declining.
Eid vacation has already started in some factories, while it will start in rest of the units in phases. He hoped that these factories will pay monthly wage and festival allowance to their workers before the vacation starts.
Regarding the Tuba Group workers, he said if the authority fails to pay the workers before the Eid, the government will take legal actions against them after the vacation.
Sources, however, said the workers are unlikely to get any payment before the Eid.
Tuba Group Workers Movement Committee Monday threatened to launch tough movement, if the workers of the closed factories under the group are not paid their dues within the next 24 hours that ended Tuesday.
When communicated, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) acting president Md Shahidullah Azim said the Tuba authority might not be able to pay the workers unless they get the claimed insurance money.
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