RMG workers protest, demand payment of outstanding wages

Workers of the closed Dird Composite Textile Limited formed a human chain demanding payment of seven months' outstanding wages, provident fund, service benefits and unpaid maternity allowances for female workers in the Rajabari area of Gazipur today.

More than 200 affected male and female workers formed the human chain on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in the Rajendrapur intersection area.

The protesting workers said that although the factory is currently closed, they have not received their wages for the last seven months, along with their provident fund and service benefits.

For months, their wages and other dues have been withheld by the management. As a result, they are living in extreme hardship. Despite repeated promises from the owners, the dues remain unpaid, they said.

Shafiul Alam, president of the Gazipur metropolitan unit of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, said that even a year after the closure of Dird Composite Textile Limited, the management has yet to settle the workers' outstanding wages, service benefits, provident fund payments and unpaid maternity allowances for female workers.

Shafiul Alam added that the government has already provided the factory owners with an interest-free loan of Tk13 crore to settle the workers' dues. However, it is unfortunate that even a month after receiving the loan, the owners have yet to distribute the money among all workers and staff. The delay has caused unrest among the workers.

Even after disbursing the Tk13 crore loan, over Tk14 crore in dues will remain unpaid to the workers and employees. Despite repeated appeals to various government and private offices, there has been no resolution of the problem, he added.

He said on 22 November 2023, the factory was officially declared closed by the owners. At the time of its closure, around 8,000 workers and employees were employed at the factory.

Regarding the payment of wages during the operational period and legal entitlements for the closure period, a tripartite settlement agreement was signed on 28 November 2023, he added.

He feared that the ongoing protests by workers may escalate further.

The factory management said that the delay is temporary and due to financial difficulties. However, they held out the assurance that efforts are underway to resolve the issue promptly.

Subimal Ghosh, deputy manager of the Mechanical Section at Dird Composite Textile, said, "I joined Dird Composite Limited in 2011. Due to unpaid wages, my family and I are living in dire conditions. Our provident fund and service benefits remain unpaid as well. My children's education is on the verge of being halted. With the soaring prices of essentials in the market, even buying daily groceries and other necessities has become nearly impossible."

"We demand that our outstanding dues be paid without further delay. I have heard that the government has provided a loan of Tk13 crore to Dird Composite to settle our dues. We are protesting to demand the immediate payment of all our unpaid wages," he added.

Inspector Abdul Latif of Gazipur Industrial Police said that workers of Dird Composite Textile Limited staged protests at the Rajendrapur intersection on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, demanding payment of their outstanding dues. The workers observed the protests peacefully, he added.

Fayez Ahmed, chief financial officer of Dird Group, said, "We have already paid Tk8.65 crore to the workers. It is not possible to pay the entire amount at once. However, we will settle the remaining dues very soon."