RMG factory workers, demanding arrears, block Gazipur road

Employees and workers of a garment factory blocked a road in Gazipur Sadar upazila since this morning, demanding their pending salaries and other dues ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

Witnesses said staff and workers of Style Craft Limited started demonstration inside the factory around 8:00am. Getting no response from the management, they took to the street after two hours and put barricade in Lakshmipur area, which is only two to three km from the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, reports our Gazipur correspondent.   

Around 750 employees and 5,000 workers of the factory did not get full salaries for March and May of the current year, 50 percent salaries of March and August in 2020, and 35 percent of October and December in 2019 and 15 percent of the salary of November that year, the staff claimed.

Besides, two years of Eid bonus and increments of four years are also pending, they said.

Photo: Star

They have been placing their demands for the last few days. The authorities set several dates for clearing the payments but postponed it every time.

Additional police have been deployed in the area to avert further tension. 

Confirming the demonstration, Inspector of Gazipur Metropolitan Industries Police Somir Chandra Sutradhar said every month the workers of the factory are getting their salaries after demonstration. "It has become a regular matter," he added.

Factory In-charge Abu Bakkar Siddiqui, however, claimed that the authorities have cleared all the payment except 11 days of April and the full month's salary of May and June.

The managing director held a virtual meeting on July 10 where he assured them of clearing payment partially. But the workers refused the decision and started demonstration.

The road was blocked till 2:15pm when the report was filed.