Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has directed all factories across the country to pay workers’ Eid bonuses by May 21 and ensure monthly salaries are paid within the stipulated dates.
He gave the directive while speaking as chief guest at the 95th meeting of the Tripartite Consultative Council-TCC and the 24th meeting of the RMG-related Tripartite Consultative Council held on Thursday (May 14) at the CIRDAP International Conference Centre in Dhaka.
At the meeting, chaired by Labour and Employment Ministry Secretary Abdur Rahman Tarafdar, Ariful Haque Chowdhury expressed hope that timely payment of wages and bonuses would prevent labour unrest or industrial dissatisfaction.
However, worker representatives urged the government to intervene quickly regarding factories that still have unpaid wages.
They also requested special bus, train, and launch services to make workers’ Eid travel easier.
In response, the minister said the government is committed to ensuring safe and smooth Eid travel for workers. To avoid traffic congestion on highways, instructions have been issued for factories to grant holidays in phases or staggered schedules based on agreements between owners and workers.
He further said that local administrations, district police, and industrial police have been given special instructions to ensure payment of wages and bonuses and maintain overall security.
At the meeting, representatives from the Ministry of Shipping announced that fares on ships and launches on all routes would be reduced by 10% to facilitate workers’ Eid travel.
Representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs said law enforcement agencies had been instructed to deal with any unexpected situation.
Among others present at the meeting were Bangladesh Employers’ Federation President Fazle Shamim Ehsan, Nationalist Workers Party President Anwar Hossain, senior officials of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and representatives of employers and workers. PID.