The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) reports that 344 ready-made garment (RMG) manufacturers in Bangladesh have yet to pay their bonuses as Eid-ul-Fitr draws near.
Factories were required to pay half of March’s salary prior to the Eid vacations and to provide bonuses by the 20th of Ramadan. The unpaid wages and benefits have sparked protests among RMG employees in Chittagong and Dhaka. Workers have occasionally attacked plant officials to air their complaints, including calls for a 10-day holiday to coincide with the government’s Eid break.
According to BGMEA, as of 24th March 98.53 percent of functioning industries had paid February wages, while 83.67 percent of RMG factories—1,543 in Dhaka and 220 in Chittagong—had distributed bonuses. 84 factories, meanwhile, have either not paid their March wages at all or merely paid a portion of them. Ahead of the Eid festivities, stakeholders are hopeful that these payments would be settled by the end of the week.
36 factories are most vulnerable to not meeting their pay, bonus, and allowance responsibilities because of financial challenges, according to a BGMEA official. Up to 500 factories may experience difficulties during Eid, according to earlier estimates from intelligence services.
Factory owners are making an effort to adhere to government payment requirements, according to Mohammad Hatem, head of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA). He said that even though some people are having financial difficulties, he hopes that all outstanding debts would be paid before Eid so that employees can enjoy themselves with their loved ones.
