The government has asked apparel sector trade bodies to take measures to stop termination of workers to avoid any possible labour unrest amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The government's instructions came after 67 factories had terminated a total of 17,579 workers,although atripartite meeting decided that no worker or factory would be laid off during the pandemic especially before Eid-ul-Fitr.
The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) in a letter sent to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) made the instructions on Sunday.
Citing DIFE's 23 zonal offices report prepared after Eid, the letter said a total of 17,579 workers were terminated at labour intensive industrial zone of Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chattogram.
As a result, 2,450 workers from Tanaz Fashions and Viyellatex garments on June 01 blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway which was resolved by law enforcement agencies and DIFE, it said.
Different right groups are also pressing for stopping workers' termination, DIFE inspector general Shibnath Roy said in the letter.
A tripartite meeting held on April 25 also requested the sector leaders not to terminate any workers and lay off any factories taking the overall situation into consideration, he mentioned.
Another report adds: Leaders of Bangladesh Trade Union Sangha (BTUS) called on the readymade garment (RMG) factory owners not to cut jobs of the workers.
They also demanded full payment of salary arrears and bonuses to the workers.
President of BTUS Habibullah Bacchu and its General Secretary Chowdhury Ashiqul Islam in a statement on Sunday said the decision to cut jobs of RMG workers is 'inhuman' during this time of coronavirus pandemic.
They said although the owners got a Tk 500 billion stimulus package with two per cent service charge from the government, many workers who joined their duty did not get their full salaries and bonuses.
The workers in the RMG sector have now been passing tough times due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country, they added.
The BTUS leaders also demanded that the owners ensure health safety and better treatment of the workers.
A total of 250 RMG workers have been infected with coronavirus so far, they said.
They also called upon the government to ensure housing and rationing facilities for the garment workers in the upcoming budget.
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