Majority of apparel workers across the country have received festival allowances and wages for the month of July ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, one of the biggest religious festivals of Muslims, to be celebrated on August 12.

According to the statistics of industrial police, 79.61 per cent of RMG factories paid festival allowances and 70.30 per cent factories paid wages for the month of July till Thursday evening.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, however, claimed almost all, 98 per cent, of its member factories have paid the festival allowance and 80 per cent of factories paid wages for month of July till Thursday.

Data showed that there were a total of 3,846 RMG factories across the country under the jurisdiction of industrial police of which 3,062 units paid festival allowances and 2,704 units paid wages to their workers.

It also showed that highest 9,078 factories out of 1,242 in Gazipur zone paid festival allowances and 901 factories paid wages for July while out of 791 factories in Ashulia 706 units cleared festival allowances and 485 unit paid wages to their workers.   

Out of 1,056 factories in Narayanganj, 764 units paid wages while 785 units paid festival allowances and out of 697 factories in Chattogram, 543 units paid festival allowances while 506 units paid wages for July to its workers.

BGMEA president Rubana Huq said that 78-80 per cent of factories paid wages to their workers till Thursday, rest 10 per cent would be paid by Friday and last 10 per cent by Saturday.

She also claimed that more than 98 per cent factories have cleared festival allowances.

‘Till day before yesterday, we had only 5 factories out of 130 in our watch list and they have also cleared bonus. In case if anyone is pending bonus (highly unlikely), then, as per ministry decision, they will be cleared by disbursing wages and bonus together by Saturday,’ she said.

Published On : 09-08-2019

Source : Newagebd