Govt fixes deadline for salary, Eid bonus to RMG workers

The government has urged the owners of readymade garment factories across Bangladesh to pay the workers their Eid bonuses by the 21st day of Ramadan.

Like past years, the business houses have been asked to pay workers their June salaries before the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays and send them on festival vacation in phases, State Minister for Labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu said on Sunday.
 
He said the owners were also asked not to downsize during Ramadan.
 
Workers agitate for payment of their dues and festival allowances almost every year before the two Eids, vandalising public property and disrupting traffic.
 
This has made the government sit with the factory owners and issue directives for the past several years.
 
Based on moon sighting, this year’s Ramadan may begin from Jun 6 or 7, meaning Eid-ul-Fitr will most likely fall in the first week of July.
 
“The owners generally discuss with the workers and pay the bonuses but they were urged to clear the festival allowance between 15th and 21st days of Ramadan,” the state minister said.
 
Chunnu had briefed reporters on Sunday after a meeting of the Crisis Management Committee at the Secretariat.
 
Labour ministry officials and representatives of garment owners and workers and law enforcing agencies attended the meeting.