Tuba workers reject offer to clear dues in phases

The striking Tuba Group workers rejected the authorities' offer at a tripartite meeting Sunday to start disbursing their wage arrears from Wednesday.
The workers said Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) leaders and the government were mocking them by making such an assurance.
According to the decision at the tripartite meeting, the unpaid workers will receive wage arrears for the months of May and June last on August 6 from the BGMEA.
Dues for the month of July will be cleared on August 10 next as per the decision of the tripartite committee reached in the meeting among government high-ups, apparel makers and a section of apparel workers' leaders.
After the meeting, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan shared the decision with the reporters. He said the decision on payment of the festival allowances and overtime bills would be taken later after discussion with the management of Tuba Group.
"It's up to the workers whether they will receive their dues or not," the minister said in response to a query at the post-meeting briefing.
Expressing his optimism, he, however, said the workers would withdraw their hunger strike after accepting the decision of the tripartite committee.
But talking to the FE, Garment Workers Unity Forum president Moshrefa Mishu said the workers, on one hand, had been falling sick one by one for the last seven days because of their hunger strike. But the government and the apparel manufacturers were taking too much time in this respect.
"They (BGMEA and the government) are just mocking them by taking such a decision. We've rejected the decision and urged the authorities concerned to clear the dues as soon as possible considering health conditions of the agitators," she said.
The labour leader has also been taking part in the hunger strike since the first day.
"We have been observing the hunger strike for the last seven days in a peaceful manner. It will be a great mistake, if the government and the BGMEA think we are weak," she said.
Talking about the issue, Taslima Akhter Lima, convener of the Bangladesh Garment Sramik Sanghati (BGSS), said tensions among the workers had been mounting with the day progressing. It could drive the agitators to go for violent protests, she added.
She said the apparel makers took the decision bypassing a number of workers' groups who expressed their solidarity with the 1600 unpaid workers of the five Tuba Group factories.
"It's merely eyewash, as pro-owner labour groups who never visited the hunger strikers attended the meeting. So, nothing positive can be achieved in favour of the workers in such a meeting," she said.
A 22-year-old operator at Tuba Textile Mills, one of the five errant Tuba units, Lucky Akhter, said they wanted full payment of the dues, including overtime bills and festival allowance, at a time.
"We don't want to take such dues in two phases as we have no trust upon the BGMEA as they did not keep their words on several occasions in the past," she said.
Rejecting the decision, the agitating workers announced a fresh programme including siege to the BGMEA headquarters on August 5 for realising the arrears.
The agitators under the banner of Tuba Group Sramik Sangram Committee will also hold a protest rally at each of the country's apparel industrial belts the following day (August 6) to press home their five-point demand.
The five-pint demand is: immediate payment of unpaid salaries, overtime and Eid allowance, factories should be kept open so that the workers can retain their livelihood, compensation for workers who have fallen ill, scrapping Tuba Group MD Delwar Hossain's bail and giving him the death penalty, and compensation for the victims of Tazreen Fashions fire.
Meanwhile, Ganatantrik Bam Morcha, a combine of left parties-Communist Party of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD)-will also lay siege to the Ministry of Labour (MoL) today (Monday) regarding payment of the dues.