Workers of most apparel factories received their wages for August month along with the festival allowance for Eid-ul-Azha, the industry leaders and officials said on Wednesday.
However, majority of the factories failed to live up to their promises of paying at least 50 per cent wages for the month of September.
Labour leaders, on the other hand, alleged that workers were deprived as they received festival allowance, which was not uniform.
According to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), it kept its eye on some 1,227 factories, while almost all paid the wages for the month of August along with festival allowance. The trade lobby, however, admitted that one firm failed to pay wages for the month.
"Out of those, 78 per cent units paid 15 days' wages for the month of September," Mahmud Hasan Khan, a vice president of the BGMEA, claimed.
Regarding the non-payment of the factory at Mirpur that has filed to pay its workers, he said they are looking into the issue.
Md Shahidullah Azim, a former vice president of the BGMEA, also said that no major problems arose ahead of the Eid, except a few isolated cases.
"There were some isolated incidents, which surfaced over the illogical demands like full monthly payment for September," he claimed.
Sirajul Islam Rony, a labour leader, alleged that workers of around 20 per cent factories did not get the festival allowance.
"But most of the workers were unhappy as they received the amount of varied ranges," he said, adding a good number of factories made partial payment for September wages through discussion with the workers.
The industrial police, however, expressed the hope that payment for the month of August and festival allowance would be made in almost all remaining factories, though the payment for September might be made in 30 to 40 per cent factories before the Eid.
Syed Ahmed, Inspector General of the Department of Factories and Establishments (DIFE), claimed that there was no problem over payment of wages and festival allowance in factories in Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chittagong.
"We got complaints of non-payment of wages and festival allowance against two factories located in the capital city that employ some 400 to 450 workers," he said.
One factory is a member of the BKMEA and the DIFE is communicating with the leaders of the trade body, he said
The police said it is trying to trace the owner of the other factory located at Badda.
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