Bigger than a hundred garment workers noticed a hunger strike this day (7 October) in Narayanganj this morning, anxious three months’ pending salaries.
The protesters held their programme in front of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Affiliation (BKMEA) dwelling of job in the Chashara location from 12-2pm, and demanded the manufacturing facility owners implement their 18-level settlement which entails clearing unpaid wages.
They alleged that wages for the final three months have not any longer but been paid in a minimum of 4-5 garment factories, including Nemcon Scheme and Abanti Colour Tex, since July.
Contacted, Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, president of the Bangladesh Textile Garments Workers’ Federation, said, “Even when the workers filed written complaints regarding unpaid wages with the deputy commissioner, the owners have not any longer taken any stream. No subject repeated assurances, the owners failed to definite the wages. Comparatively, workers are being threatened. Below these conditions, workers and their families are living in dire straits.”
This union leader said he held BKMEA leaders to blame for the problem. He said if all due wages are no longer paid at the moment, the workers will escalate their scream, including besieging the deputy commissioner’s dwelling of job.
Then all over again, BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem pushed apart the workers’ allegations as baseless, pointing out that the factories needed to stop manufacturing as a result of past protests, flooding, and absence of cooperation from banks. In consequence, the owners had been unable to pay the workers.
He assured that a minimum of two months of due wages would be paid within this month.
