DeskReport
The ‘March to Jamuna’ program of ready-made garment workers towards the residence of the chief advisor demanding arrears of salary, bonus and other dues has faced police obstruction. As a result, the workers have been protesting at Kakrail Mosque intersection since 3 pm today, Tuesday.
Workers and employees of 8 garment companies of TNZ Group in Gazipur and Chain Apparels Limited garment company located in Ashulia have joined this program. According to the latest news, they were blocking the road towards Jamuna till 8 pm.
Since May 11, workers and employees of 8 garment companies of TNZ Group in Gazipur and Chain Apparels Limited garment company located in Ashulia have been protesting in front of the Labor Building demanding all dues including arrears of salary, Eid bonus, notice pay, service benefits. They announced the ‘March to Jamuna’ program yesterday after not receiving salary and bonus.
On Tuesday, around 2:30 pm, workers marched from the Shram Bhavan in Bijoynagar in the capital towards the residence of the Chief Advisor, Jamuna. They were stopped by police at the intersection in front of the Kakrail Mosque. The workers sat on the road there. At that time, demanding wages, the workers raised various slogans including ‘I won’t go, I won’t go, I won’t go without wages’, ‘Workers of the world, unite’, ‘Let us live as we live, otherwise we will give up our beds’.
The workers said that they owe TNZ Group 54 crore taka. Although they were supposed to pay 3 crore taka in the face of the workers’ agitation before Eid-ul-Fitr, they were paid 2 crore 67 lakh taka. Each worker received 9 thousand 100 taka. The remaining money was supposed to be paid on the 8th of last month; but they did not receive the money.
TNZ Group garment worker Md. Nasir Pramanik told Ajker Patrika, ‘They have repeatedly promised to pay our arrears including our salaries but have not paid them. We came here under compulsion. We will return from here if we get our fair salary. Otherwise, we will stay here no matter the storm.’
Anwar Hossain, a garment worker at Chain Apparels Limited in Ashulia, said, ‘We have to spend money to protest. We are not getting our arrears despite protesting in the sun and rain. Even if they had paid our 5 months’ salary and other dues, we would have received some money.’
Leaders and activists of several leftist student organizations have also taken a stand in Kakrail in solidarity with the workers’ movement. Fahim Ahmed Chowdhury, general secretary of the Democratic Student Council there, said, ‘A date is given after the meeting for payment of dues; but the workers do not get their salaries. The tripartite committee formed by the owners, workers and the government to pay their dues has repeatedly taken decisions, but it has not been implemented. That is why the workers have been forced to take to the streets. We do not want any assurances. The movement will continue until the workers get their dues for their hard work and sweat.
In the evening, the garment workers’ representatives, including the factory and institution inspection officers, held discussions. However, as no solution was found, the sit-in program continued till 8:30 pm.
