Workers of several readymade garment (RMG) factories in Savar staged demonstrations on Thursday demanding arrear wages, and protesting the sacking of workers amid the Coronavirus outbreak. The factories, on the outskirts of the capital, are Frawlin fashion Ltd of Zirani bazar , Jed Apparels Ltd and Top grade washing Ltd of Kuturia, Adiyat apparels Ltd of Narsinghpur area, Crystal composite Ltd of Khejurbagan area, Glorious Dress Ltd of Tengury area and a factory of Pall Mall group. Among them, workers of Pall Mall group protested following worker sacking amid the Coronavirus spread.
Workers started protesting since Thursday morning taking up positions in front of those factories, while some workers attempted to block roads during the demonstration. Workers from the movement alleged, the authority did not pay their wages though the due date is over. Therefore, they were passing very hard times along with their families.
Factory authority had resorted to several pleas on paying the wages. Once they said that they would pay through Bkash (Mobile Banking), and then said they would pay cash. But they made no payment in any way. We want our salary by today (Thursday), workers demanded. Kamrul Islam, a worker of Glorious Dresses Ltd told Bangladesh Post, "The authority has not paid us for the last three months. Around 450 workers here, and all are in much hardship. At first the authority assured that they would pay us on April 10, but they did not pay. Later they gave one more date and assured us to pay us today. But we found the factory closed and none of the officials received our phone calls."
This correspondent could not reach Md. Aslam, director of Glorious Dresses Ltd, despite making several phone calls. Jane Alam Khan, Assistant Superintendent of Industrial Police-1 said, "Our police force is present at the spot. We have talked to factory authorities, and are trying to resolve the issues as well.