TNZ workers end highway blockade after 3 days, traffic returns to normal

After three intense days of protests and blockading the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur, workers of TNZ Apparels finally ended their demonstration late last night (12 November), clearing the road after receiving assurances that their wages would be paid.

Traffic on the highway resumed after 10:30pm, confirmed Ibrahim Khan, deputy commissioner (traffic) of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP).

He told The Business Standard that in response to a call from the labour secretary, a delegation of workers had travelled to Dhaka for a meeting at the labour ministry. 

He said the meeting decided that one month's salary would be paid by next Sunday, and the remaining arrears would be cleared by 28 November. 

"With this assurance, the workers lifted the blockade and cleared the highway," he added.

Meanwhile, RMG workers in Narayanganj withdrew their five-hour regional road blockade demanding payment of unpaid wages following assurances from Bangladesh Army officials that the protesters will get their money soon.

Govt to provide Tk16cr loan to TNZ Apparels

The government will provide a total of Tk16 crore as a loan to TNZ Apparels, Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ershad Mia told UNB this morning (12 November).

Of this amount, Tk6 crore will come from the central fund and will be used to pay the first instalment of wages.

The remaining Tk10 crore will be provided by the Ministry of Finance, which will cover the remaining dues.

The factory owners will later repay this amount to the government.

Moreover, the workers will be paid regular salary from the factory's own income from December.

Respite for 1 hour on Mymensingh highway

Around 1pm yesterday, the labour secretary had given an assurance of payment over the phone, and the TNZ workers withdrew their blockade at 2pm. 

However, they resumed the blockade an hour later. 

Workers from garment factories of the TNZ Group in Gazipur's Malekerbari area began their protest nearly 60 hours ago, starting on Saturday morning, over two months of unpaid wages.

Industry insiders told TBS that the factory owner had been unresponsive to both BGMEA officials and his own management team, who are increasingly frustrated by the lack of a resolution.

Sources said that last week, TNZ Apparels advertised the sale of capital machinery from its unit, Expo Carton, in a national daily. However, the owner withdrew this decision after the prospect of government funding to settle due wages emerged.

Seeking anonymity, a law enforcement official told TBS, "We heard that the owner tried to sell factory machinery, but later he walked back on his decision."  

A senior BGMEA official said, "As per our knowledge, TNZ Apparels Group owner is not willing to continue his business as he stays in Saudi Arabia and started a hotel business there."  

A former director of the BGMEA said this factory owner is intentionally lingering this situation, affecting the operations of other factories in this area.

The Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur was plagued by heavy traffic congestion over the past few days due to the protests.

The brief withdrawal of the blockade at 2pm allowed many vehicles to pass through within an hour, but as the protest resumed, traffic on both sides of the highway came to a standstill again.

Earlier, GMP Deputy Commissioner Nazir Ahmed told TBS that Labour Secretary Shafiquzzaman talked to the workers over the phone around 1pm and said the government will take responsibility and donate Tk6 crore by next Sunday to help clear their dues.

Gazipur Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer, army officials, and officials of Gazipur metropolitan and industrial police were present at the time when the conversation took place.

Secretary Shafiquzzaman invited a team of workers' representatives to Dhaka to sit with the authorities and hold discussions to reach an agreement on how and when their dues would be paid and their demands would be met.

"Your dues will be paid in phases. Discuss among yourselves and decide what to do. We are waiting," he said, urging the workers to withdraw the blockade.

Commuters suffer in tailbacks

The blockade – which started on Saturday morning – had caused severe traffic disruptions in a 20km stretch on both sides of the highway over the past two days.

The protest virtually disconnected Dhaka from Tangail, Mymensingh and some other districts and left thousands of commuters on long-route buses, private vehicles and different types of cargo vehicles reeling in massive tailbacks.

On Sunday, at least 30 other factories were shut down to prevent further unrest. Due to the blockade, at least 20 factories located in the area announced a holiday yesterday as well.

The protesting workers, many of whom stayed on the road the whole day and overnight in shifts, had refused to withdraw the blockade until they were paid. TNZ Apparels Limited Group operates six apparel factories in Gazipur's Malekerbari area.

The tailbacks forced many travellers and locals to walk to their destinations. Passengers and drivers of the vehicles stuck in the tailback yesterday morning had expressed much anger at the government and authorities' lack of effective measures to resolve the crisis.

"Everything must have a limit. An important highway has been closed for three days but the authorities are doing nothing. This is absolutely unacceptable," said Mymensingh-bound Kalim Uddin.

Truck driver Haider started his trip to Chandpur from Mymensingh two days ago but has been stuck on the highway for nearly 30 hours while his vehicle is carrying perishable items.

Due to the heavy pressure of vehicles, gridlocks had also spread on the roads connected to the highway since Sunday night, after Gazipur police started diverting traffic to these alternative routes.

According to police and workers, six factories under TNZ Apparels Limited Group have outstanding wages for September and October. 

The factories had been closed since April and, although operations resumed later, management started delaying payment for two months of wages.

They said previous attempts to get a statement from the TNZ Apparels' management were unsuccessful.

Blockade in Narayanganj

Workers from Crony Garments and Abanti Colour Tex Ltd – both owned by Crony Group – at the BSCIC in Fatullah of Narayanganj had blocked the Dhaka-Pagla-Munshiganj road at around 11am.

Visiting the protesters in the afternoon, Bangladesh Army Major Ashraf said, "The owner is in hiding without paying the salary. In order to pay your salary, [assets of] these two companies will be auctioned and your salary will be paid."

Following his assurance, the protesters left the road in the evening at around 5pm.

During the protest, the workers vandalised several factories in the BSCIC area, prompting the deployment of police and army personnel to control the situation.

Both of the factories in question laid off all of their staff – around 9,000 – in February this year after failing to pay wages to employees for several months.

Since then, the laid-off workers have been protesting for their unpaid wages.