Workers in all sectors, including the export-oriented garment industry, will receive 15 days’ pay this month before the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday. Even if they get half of the current month’s salary, the workers will get the full salary of last March and the entire Eid bonus before Eid. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Tripartite Consultative Council (TCC) of the Ministry of Labor on Monday.

State Minister for Labor Begum Mannujan Sufian presided over the meeting. The matter was informed in a press release sent by the ministry.
At the end of the meeting, the Minister of State for Labor said that the Eid bonus and at least 15 days and half a month’s salary will be paid by the employers to the workers of all sectors including readymade garments, state-owned, private, institutional and non-institutional. Apart from this, if any factory has arrears of salary and allowances, the owners will also pay them to the workers before the Eid holiday.

Eid is scheduled to be held on May 3, subject to the sighting of the moon. If that is the case, the public holiday of Eid will start on May 2. Before that, May 1 is also a public holiday. The Eid holiday season will start on April 29 with a combination of weekly and government holidays. As such, the salary bonus of all types of industrial workers will have to be paid within this month.

At the end of the meeting, Begum Mannujan Sufian further said that the Eid holiday of the workers should be combined with the public holiday. However, in case of emergency export, the factory owners will be able to reduce the leave by negotiating with the workers. He said the governor would be requested to keep the bank open even on holidays to facilitate payment of wages and bonuses to workers in labor-intensive areas. He called upon the concerned persons to take measures so that the workers could travel without any hindrance during the Eid holidays.
Labor Secretary at the meeting. Elaine Elahi, Additional Secretary Jebunnesa Karim, Inspector General of the Department of Factory and Establishment Inspection. Nasir Uddin Ahmed, Director General of the Department of Labor Khaled Mamun Chowdhury, Vice President of the Bangladesh Employers Federation Sushmita Anis, BGMEA Vice President. Nasir Uddin, President of Jatiya Sramik League Nur Qutb Alam Mannan, and others were present.

When asked, Labor leader Sirajul Islam told Prothom Alo, “According to the information of the industrial police, about 30 percent of the garment factories have not paid their March salaries yet.” In addition to paying the arrears, we demanded 15 days ‘salary this month within 20 days of fasting and a bonus before the Eid holidays.’