TNZ Group: Workers suspend agitation after assurance from secretary

TNZ Group: Workers suspend agitation after assurance from secretary

TNZ Group workers did not receive their arrears of salary and allowances till Saturday. After a meeting with the factory workers and owners, Labor Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman announced that he would pay Tk 3 crore for the time being. The workers initially rejected it but later accepted and suspended the agitation till April 7.

Meanwhile, the Industrial Police and the Garment Factory Owners Association said that except for a few factories, the workers of the remaining factories have received half of their salary and bonus for March. Most factories have been closed till yesterday. However, TNZ workers took up a protest in front of the Labor Building demanding salary and allowances, which began on March 23.

TNZ Group workers told a press conference on Friday that the group’s three factories are closed. The 3,166 workers of these factories owe about Tk 17 crore. Last Thursday, a part of the arrears of the workers of a factory were paid. Police took TNZ Group director Shariful Islam Shaheen into custody on Thursday. It was reported that he had assured the workers that he would sell the factory’s machinery and equipment and pay the arrears. The salary and allowances were supposed to be paid yesterday. TNZ Group: Workers suspend

This afternoon, Labor Ministry Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman met with workers’ representatives along with TNZ Group Director Shariful Islam. At the end of the meeting, he told reporters that the TNZ Group director said that he would sell the equipment and pay Tk 20 million for the time being. The meeting will be held again on April 8 after Eid. He will remain in the custody of law enforcement agencies until the workers are paid their salaries. The workers rejected the secretary’s decision and blocked the labor secretary’s car as he was leaving the labor building after the meeting. Later, the secretary said again, ‘… right now, no support is being provided from the bank. We are from Bangladesh Bank… if the bank was open, we could have arranged for it by creating a special loan… if we gave a check today, that check cannot be cashed in the bank. That is why we have arranged for Tk 30 million in cash.’ Although the workers had been protesting since March 23 demanding their dues. During this period, no effective initiative has been taken by the government to collect the dues.

Initially, the agitators rejected the secretary’s statement and announced to continue the program. Later, last night, the coordinator of the agitating workers, Shahidul Islam, told Prothom Alo that the agitation has been suspended until April 7 after the secretary assured them of paying Tk 30 million.

Garments Workers’ Unity Forum President Mosherefa Mishu was present at the meeting at the Shram Bhavan. He said, “We want that even if the workers cannot be paid three months’ salary, they should be given one month’s salary and bonus for the time being. Then at least the workers can go home and celebrate some kind of Eid. However, they must be given a written notice to pay their outstanding salaries quickly.”

Almost all factories have paid salaries and allowances

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said that 99.57 percent of its member factories have paid the Eid bonus and 98.67 percent of its factories have paid half or full salaries for March.

According to information from the industrial police and intelligence agencies, the BGMEA has inspected all 245 factories that were known to have problems. After the inspection, they said that there may be problems in only six factories. The process of paying salaries and allowances was going on in them.

Md. Hatem, president of the knitwear industry owners’ organization BKMEA, said that Eid bonuses and salaries have been given to workers in all factories except one. The factories that could not pay them have resolved the issue with the workers.

Every year, salaries and allowances are paid at the last minute to garment factories during Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha. A crisis has arisen with some factories.

Salauddin Swapan, senior vice president of the International Alliance of Workers’ Unions, Industry All Bangladesh Council (IBC), told Prothom Alo on Thursday that most ready-made garment factories have full purchase orders. Even then, what is happening with salaries and allowances is regrettable.