Garment owners threaten to cut off pay of protesting workers

Top garment owners have warned workers protesting for changes to the wage structure to return to work immediately or have their wages cut off.

Garment workers association BGMEA has not made any statements on claims of wage discrimination but said that the protesters are spurred by ‘a particular quarter’.

“If you do not return to work tomorrow [Monday] then you will not be paid any wages,” BGMEA President Md Siddiqur Rahman announced at a press conference at the BGMEA building on Sunday. “Otherwise factories will be closed indefinitely according to section 13/1 of the Labour Act.”

Garment workers in Gazipur, Savar, Ashulia and several other areas have taken to the streets with allegations that they are being paid less than they were before despite a new wage grade being initiated that raises their salaries.

Workers have also claimed that the new wage structure has not been implemented in a timely manner at other factories.

Asked about these allegations, the BGMEA president said that a tri-party committee to investigate whether wage grades 3, 4 and 5 need further adjustment.

“The committee will meet this afternoon at 3 pm at the ministry. The workers will have to accept their decision. If anyone refuses to return to work after this their wages will be frozen.”

When informed of the allegations that the new wage structure was not followed, the BGMEA president said that the protests were occurring at factories where it had been implemented.

Asked who they suspected was behind the protests, he said it was up to the government’s investigation agencies to investigate.

It could be domestic or foreign forces, he said.

“They create unrest whenever we attempt to advance,” he said.