‘Garment workers’ due salaries will be paid by Thursday’

Adviser to the Ministry of Labour and Employment Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan has said the due salaries and allowances of ready-made garment workers of the factories at Savar will be paid by Thursday (September 12).

He stated it to mass media representatives on Wednesday (September 11) following a meeting of the Advisory Council held over the ongoing labour unrest.

Advisor Asif Mahmud said the outstanding salaries of garment workers would be paid by today (Wednesday) or tomorrow (Thursday). A committee has already been constituted to review the complaints related to labor disputes in both the ready-made garment (RMG) and non-RMG factories. Anyone can make complaint regarding the labour rights. Representatives of owners and workers have been accommodated to this committee.

Speaking at a meeting held at the ministry’s conference room on Wednesday, the adviser announced the formation of the committee, which aims to evaluate and recommend measures to resolve ongoing labor disputes in these sectors.

Chaired by Asif, the meeting included key advisers such as Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Power and Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar, and Industry Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, along with relevant ministry secretaries.

Asif explained that the committee was formed in response to a previous cabinet decision to create a body for monitoring labor-related complaints. “During the previous government’s tenure, workers lost confidence in the Labor Department and Labour Court due to various reasons. We need to restore that trust through structural reforms, though that will be a long-term process,” he said.

The newly-formed committee will allow workers to place their grievances directly to the appropriate authorities.

The committee, headed by an Additional Secretary from the Labor Division, includes three labor leaders, two Supreme Court lawyers, and two representatives from employers.

The Director of Trade Unions and Arbitration at the Department of Labor will serve as the member-secretary.

He emphasized that workers can present their demands at the labor office at Bijoy Nagar in Dhaka. The committee will review these demands and provide recommendations to the relevant ministry or agency.

“We will take immediate steps to resolve any grievances that can be addressed in the short term,” he added.

Key decisions made during the emergency meeting include ensuring the immediate payment of outstanding wages and benefits to workers, increasing field-level engagement by ministry and labor department officials, and restructuring existing committees, including the Tripartite Consultative Council, to update and enhance their effectiveness.

The monitoring committee is expected to begin its work promptly, including arranging hearings related to labor unrest. Regular updates from the field will be collected to ensure timely interventions. Local-level committees will also be formed to quickly address issues as they arise.