Garment workers reject labor adviser's false statement, stage 'hunger procession' demanding three months' salary and bonuses

Rejecting the labor adviser's statement, garment workers staged a 'hunger procession' with plates in their hands in the capital demanding three months' arrears salary and Eid bonuses. On Friday (March 28) at 4:00 pm, the procession started from in front of the Labor Building and ended in front of the Labor Building again via Paltan and Nightingale intersection.

Workers participating in the procession chanted slogans for various demands— "Some will eat and some will not, that will not be, that will not be", "Workers of the world, unite unite", "Give salary and allowances, otherwise we will eat your allowances", "We don't get three months' salary, the government takes no news", "Light up, light up, light a fire", "Owners' dens, break them down, smash them to pieces", "We want struggle, struggle, struggle, we want to live by struggling", "The struggle for salary and allowances, will continue, will continue", "The struggle for legitimate demands, will continue, will continue".

Earlier, at 11:30 am on Friday, the protesting workers held a press conference in front of the Labor Building. There they strongly protested the labor adviser's statement regarding the workers' unpaid wages and bonuses. On behalf of the workers, it was said, "The labor adviser has uttered extreme falsehoods. The worker community has not accepted that. Therefore, we have taken to the streets once again. We will not return home until our demands are met." At the press conference, the protesters also presented the amount of arrears of the workers of three factories.

According to the information, against the total dues of Tk 6 crore 75 lakh, only Tk 1 crore 5 lakh was paid on Thursday (March 27). The workers stated that if their demands are not met, a memorandum will be submitted to the Chief Adviser and a larger program will be announced.