Hundreds of garment workers of Honeywell Garments Ltd blocked the Konabari-Ambag regional road in Gazipur today (21 September), demanding payment of two months’ unpaid wages.
The workers took position in the Ambag area of Konabari around 9am and set fire to tyres, disrupting traffic on both sides of the road until about 1pm.
Industrial Police and Gazipur Metropolitan Police reached the spot and held discussions with the workers before clearing the road, said Konabari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Iftekhar Hossain.
According to police, around 1,300 workers of the factory have not received their wages for August and September.
Protesting workers said the factory was scheduled to pay the August wages on 10 September, but the payment was not made. The authorities subsequently postponed the payment several times before declaring a general holiday at the factory, prompting the workers to take to the streets.
“We did not receive our wages even after the scheduled date. Now that the factory is closed, I am in severe trouble with my family,” worker Ataur Rahman said.
Another worker, Sumona Akter, said the unpaid wages had left workers struggling to pay shop debts, their children’s school fees and house rent.
She also alleged that other factories owned by the same management pay wages regularly and questioned why workers at Honeywell Garments were being treated differently.
Efforts to contact the factory authorities by phone for comment were unsuccessful.
OC Iftekhar said police were in talks with the factory management to arrange payment of the workers’ outstanding wages as soon as possible.
“The situation is now under full control of the police,” he said.
Gazipur Industrial Police-2 Superintendent Mohammad Amzad Hossain said additional industrial police and GMP personnel had been deployed in front of the factory to maintain law and order.
“We are holding extensive discussions with the factory management to resolve the issue,” he said.
The protesting workers warned of further demonstrations if their outstanding wages for the past two months are not paid soon.
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