Over 1,000 RMG factories face unrest ahead of Eid

Garment manufacturers have identified over 1,000 factories that risk labour unrest ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr over payment of wages and festival allowances.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the apex trade body of the apparel makers, identified the factories in readymade garment (RMG) hubs in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Tongi and Savar, sector insiders said.
They said a large number of factories had been struggling to pay the workers their monthly wages and other facilities for a long time. So, labour unrest might break out there any time.
An investigation committee of the BGMEA has submitted a report to the trade body in this connection.
"We have found out more than 1,000 RMG) factories that will not be able to pay wages and festival allowances before the Eid. As a result, labour unrest may break out in a large number of factories", convener of the investigation team SM Mannan Kochi told the FE.
He said most of the factories were small and medium-size ones and they were faced with a shortage of fresh work orders.
Mr Kochi, also vice president of BGMEA, said the apex apparel sector body had been drawing up an action plan based on the report so that the workers do not face any problem with getting their wages.
He said they were going to take an initiative so that the factory owners could settle the dues and avert any outbreak of labour unrest in the month of Ramadan.
However, Shahidullah Azim, another vice president of BGMEA, said: "According to the investigation report, a large number of RMG units are at risks as labour unrest may flare up there before Eid. But we are watchful."
He expressed his hope that despite many problems all the apparel factories in the country would be able to pay the dues. So there was nothing to be worried about.
He said they had instructed all the factory owners to pay the dues in time and avert any untoward incident before the Eid.
Leaders of the garment workers demanded payment of Festival allowances and other dues by July 20 to avert any untoward incident.
"Every year the apparel sector employees go on the rampage for realising their dues. But this year we do not like to see any such incident," said Sirajul Islam Rony, president of Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees League.
He the RMG workers would not be able to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr if the factory owners do not pay the wages and other allowances before Eid.
Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez, managing director of Evince Group, a leading appeal maker, said now they were facing a shortage of work orders but they would pay the wages before Eid.
He said the festival allowance was the workers' rightful due and they would make all payments to the workers within a short time.