Desk Report:
Garment workers must pay all outstanding salaries and allowances by May 28 before the upcoming Eid al-Adha, otherwise legal action will be taken against the garment owners concerned, and they may even have to go to jail.
This was a stern warning issued by Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. M Sakhawat Hossain, Advisor to the Ministry of Labor and Employment. He said that arrest warrants have already been issued against five garment owners. They will not be able to go outside the country, let alone outside Dhaka.
This morning, Wednesday, the advisor made these remarks after a meeting with the heads of various organizations on the protection and security of waterway passengers on the occasion of the upcoming Eid at the conference room of the Ministry of Shipping at the Secretariat.
The labor advisor said that for several days, news had been heard of various garment workers’ organizations besieging the residence of the chief advisor on Jamuna and labor buildings in Kakrail, demanding outstanding salaries and allowances. Taking the matter seriously, he held a meeting with garment owners and labor union leaders at the secretariat until 7 pm on Tuesday. In this meeting, the garment owners said that they would pay the workers’ dues even if they had to sell their houses, and that by May 28.
The advisor said, “This assurance from the garment owners has given us hope. We think that the garment owners will pay the salaries and allowances of the workers of their respective garment factories by the 28th. There is no chance of it happening otherwise.”
Sakhawat Hossain also said that the garment owners will either pay the workers’ salaries or go to jail. Those who cannot pay the workers’ salaries do not need to be garment owners. Some may have established garment factories to make fashion. This cannot be allowed to happen in the future.
The advisor said that arrest warrants have been issued against the owners of five garment factories, including TNZ Garments and Mahmud Garments.
At that time, officials of various departments and organizations including the Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping were present. At the event, the advisor mentioned various decisions of the government regarding the safety of passengers on waterways on the occasion of the upcoming Eid.
The advisor said that no bulkhead will be able to ply in the river before and after Eid this time. In addition, four armed Ansars will be deployed in each passenger launch. He requested the concerned officials of the Meteorological Department to provide weather forecasts in a timely manner.
