The coronavirus pandemic has brought the global economy to its knees in many countries and Bangladesh is no different. Bangladesh's RMG sector is bearing the brunt of the global recession. As a result local factories are not getting orders which in turn has it's effects on paying workers their wages. Readymade garment factory owners are finding it difficult to pay off their workers and they are not even getting promised fund against their bank loans either.
Under such circumstances factory owners, workers, along with representatives from law enforcing agencies sat in a meeting at the home ministry on Saturday to find a way out of the situation and to contain labour protests or dissatisfaction. Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal presided over the meeting that decided that factories which can pay full bonuses will pay bonuses in full and those who cannot will pay at least 50% of what they paid the previous year as bonus. And this amount has to be paid before Eid. The rest of the amount will be adjusted and paid to workers in the following six months.
Sources said that the main agenda of the meeting was bonuses for workers and how factory owners can pay their workers these bonuses.
Sources further said that many factories resorted to lay-off during government announced holidays amid the Covid-19 pandemic as their orders were being cancelled one after the other. Later workers of various factories staged demonstrations which led to tripartite meeting under the premier's instruction. State Minister for Labour and Employment Monnujan Sufian presided over the meeting on May 4 that decided that factories will pay workers 65pc wages for April.
Former president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Abdus Salam Murshedy told The Business Post that under the current circumstances it is not possible for all the factories to pay full bonuses to their workers. Therefore those who can will pay full bonus and those who cannot will pay at least 50% of what they paid the previous year as bonus. The rest of the amount will be adjusted and paid to workers in the following six months.
Sirajul Islam Rony, President of Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employees League, said: "Everyone is aware of the situation and therefore we have also agreed to the decision."
Garment workers' leader Nazma Akhter said: "No one is well right now and we have to consider about the industry as a whole. And therefore we have accepted the decision."
