Around 200 factories, including textile and readymade garments, in different industrial zones are at risk of labour unrest as, according to law-enforcement agencies, these units are unlikely to be able to pay wages and festival allowances before the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
To avert any unwanted situation, the trade bodies claimed to have intensified their monitoring and keeping close contact with the management concerned.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) has clarified that the workers and employees of factories and other industrial establishments will enjoy Eid-ul-Azha holidays as per the labour law.
In a circular on Tuesday last, the MoLE issued the clarification in response to apparel sector trade bodies' request for the same.
A confusion created among the workers over the holidays, following the government announcement of a 10-day Eid vacation for public employees.
A number of garment factories witnessed work abstention as their workers also demanded a 10-day vacation, sources said.
According to the MoLE notification, "... the factory authorities will take necessary measures in light of Section 118 of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 and Rule 110 of the Labour Rules, 2015 regarding the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha holiday for the workers and employees of the concerned factories/industrial establishments."
According to section 118 of the labour law, every worker is entitled to 11 days of paid festival holiday per calendar year and the employer determines the specific days and dates for these holidays as per rules.
The clarification came after the apparel trade bodies wrote to the ministry, following protests reported in some factories over Eid holidays.
The trade bodies are: The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), and the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA).
When asked, BGMEA Administrator Anwar Hossain said that the confusion created over the Eid holidays though the factories usually prepare their holiday calendar at the beginning of a year.
He said that they had to sit for three days to resolve such issues in a factory located in Mouchak areas as workers stopped working demanding 10 days of vacation.
Talking to the FE, Fazlee Ehsan Shamim, executive president of BKMEA, said a number of factories in Gazipur and Konabari areas witnessed labour protests and work abstention over the issue.
Factory managements usually adjust holidays by allowing their workers to work on the weekly holidays of Friday and adjust it with post-Eid holidays and workers also prefer such arrangement, he explained.
He added that the factories announce Eid holidays ranging from five to seven days on average and in some cases even more.
An exporter said a 10-day vacation is 'unusual' and it cannot be applicable for the manufacturing sector as it has to prepare work orders as per the lead time and the sector is governed by labour law."
He also said an additional day of holiday can cost Tk 20-30 million, which is a big issue for a garment factory amid the ongoing challenges both at home and abroad.
Earlier on May 21, the MoLE and shipping adviser said the garment-factory owners must settle all outstanding wages of their workers by 28 May and warned the owners of facing arrest and imprisonment in case of defaults.
The warning came after hundreds of workers of TNZ Group on the same day at noon marched towards the Chief Adviser's residence Jamuna. They, however, gathered at Kakrail Mosque intersection as police stopped them at the spot.
TNZ workers suspended their sit-in demonstration near the official residence of Chief Adviser on the night of May 20, following a government assurance that their dues would be cleared within seven working days.
According to law enforcing agencies, some 198 factories are vulnerable to labour unrest ahead of Eid. Of the factories, 69 are registered with BGMEA, 22 are members of BKMEA and 24 are BTMA member mills.
Some 12 units under the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) are also in the list of law enforcing agencies where unrest might take place over non-payment of wages.
Another 71 non-RMG factories under the Industrial Police jurisdiction are also at risk of such untoward labour protests, according to data.
BGMEA administrator Mr Hossain said they are regularly monitoring all the units by dividing the factories in 15 zones and sitting with the factory managements to avert any unpleasant situation, he noted.
Mr Ehsan said many factories were struggling as their owners are in difficulties or out of the country following the latest political changeover.
He said the BKMEA is constantly monitoring wages and festival allowance payment situations and regularly communicating with the problematic units.
Two separate crisis management cells of the BGMEA and the BKMEA are working to avert any untoward labour issues, according to trade-body sources.
Another data also showed that at least 38 garment factories are yet to pay April wages while two units did not pay wages for the month of March until Saturday.
Munni_fe@yahoo.com
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