99% of RMG units paid salaries of February: Industrial police

About  99% of garment factories under the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) have paid salaries of February to their workers ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr,  according to the industrial police data. 

As per the data, 1,607 BGMEA member factories out of 1,627 have paid salaries of February and 689 BKMEA member factories out of 696 have paid their workers.

The data also mentioned that there are a total of 9478 have paid salaries of February out of 9544 factories under their eight industrial zones including RMG, textile, BEPZ, jute mills and other industries.

Only 20.20% of factories provided festival bonuses to their workers, including 10.18% by BGMEA factories and 14.14% by BKMEA factories. 

Talking to The Business Standard, BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim claimed that about 45% of factories also paid festival bonuses to their workers and the rest will be able to pay that before Eid vacation. And, almost 99% of factories paid the salaries of the workers. 

The rest of the factories would pay within the next two-three days, he hoped. 

Azim said in some cases factory owners paid their workers with bank loans as most of the factories are running with fewer orders than their production capacity due global economic slowdown driven by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. 

Earlier, the government directed the ready-made garment (RMG) factory owners to pay workers wages for March by 10 April and festival allowance before the Eid holidays.

"Factory owners should pay workers March salary and dues as per the labour law within the first 7 working days," State Minister for Labour and Employment Mannujan Sufian said at a tripartite meeting with government officials, factory owners, and trade union leaders. 
 

*Addendum: This report earlier erroneously mentioned that all salaries had been made in March, which was changed to February.