Garment labor leaders have demanded full pay for April ahead of the Eid holiday, saying depriving them of full pay would be an “injustice”.

Protesting the government’s instruction Monday to factory owners to pay 15 days’ wages before holidays, they said the directive could create unrest among garment workers.

“We have repeatedly called for compensation of owed salaries, provision of an Eid bonus equivalent to basic salaries and salary for the month of April in the 20 Ramadan,” Khairul Mamun said. Mintu, Organizing Secretary of the Garment Workers’ Union.

“Workers are now coming to us to secure their full monthly salary as they will be working until April 28 before Eid,” he told The Business Standard, adding that factory workers would have to pay for this. humanitarian reasons.

“Frustration will grip the workers if they only receive 15 days’ wages,” said National Garment Workers’ Federation Vice President Md Kabir Hossain.

“Many factory owners have promised us to provide full monthly wages. However, only 15-day wages will not satisfy the workers,” he told TBS.

The labor leader said they would hold an event at the National Press Club on Friday to present the demands. Also, a protest will be held in Savar on the same day, he added.

Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation President Rafiqul Islam Sujan also urged the government and factory owners to reconsider the issue.

On Monday, Minister of State for Labor and Employment, Begum Monnujan Sufian, after a tripartite meeting with his ministry’s stakeholders, said they had asked all factory owners to provide the salaries of workers at least for 15 days for the month of April before Eid. .

Meanwhile, RMG contractors said they were preparing in accordance with government instructions and were not afraid of any unrest.

“We will pay our workers for 15 days for the month of April as per government instructions. Our workers agree with this,” said Md Shahidullah Azim, vice president of the Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association of the Bangladesh (BGMEA).

“However, labor leaders make demands for their own interests or to serve a shift,” he told TBS.

“If factory owners want to pay their workers for the full month, they can.”