BGMEA claims its members have paid all workers before Eid

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Md Siddiqur Rahman has claimed that all of their members have cleared the payments and bonuses of their factory workers ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr.

Shortly after his claim at a media briefing at the BGMEA headquarters in Dhaka on Saturday, workers of Monde Apparels Ltd blocked a road in Kalyanpur for one and a half hours, demanding three months of back pay and bonuses.

Monde Apparels is a member of the apex body of garment exporters.

Rahman told reporters: “As far as we know, 100 percent factories have cleared salaries and allowances and in some cases half of the salary for this month or 20 days’ salary has been paid to the workers.”

“BGMEA was informed earlier about some factories where troubles over pay were likely to happen before the Eid," he said, adding 3,100 factories are under BGMEA and BKMEA purview.

“Of them, 35 factories had minor issues. We managed to solve those with everyone’s help. All factories under BGMEA and BKMEA paid their workers. There have been no problems.”

File photo of the BGMEA headquarters in Dhaka.

However, 150 workers had protested under the Kalyanpur overhead footbridge starting 1:30pm, obstructing traffic on both sides of the road.

“We have not been paid our wages since April,” garment factory worker Nasima Akhter told bdnews24.com. “They kept promising us we will be paid, but even today we have not received our wages. This is why we have taken to the streets.”

“Eid is coming. The owners have not been to the factory in three days. Instead of returning home for Eid we have been forced to protest," she said.

Workers, however, called off the protests around 3pm after police pledged to confront the owners over the matter.

Worry over RMG sector’s future

BGMEA President Rahman on Saturday said factory owners were concerned about the current situation in international garment trade.

“Our sector is in trouble. We’re scared about our future. Our average growth was 13 percent in the last 10 years. But this year, there has been none. The the situation is worsening,” he said.

Showing concern over next year’s likely situation, Rahman said, “There is a silent recession in Europe, there’s Brexit and the American election.”

Md Siddiqur Rahman. File photo

“It has become tougher for us to maintain our position in the international market. We have no orders for the next three months -- July, August and September. We don’t know how the next year will go.”

The BGMEA chief sought the government’s help to overcome the crisis saying if the $30 billion apparel industry takes a hit, about 10 million people including workers and investors will be directly harmed.

“This sector is a national resource and it’s everyone’s duty to protect it. The government’s help is needed earnestly."