RMG workers block Dhaka Mymensingh highway again

Workers of TNZ Apparels had called off their road blockade programme at Maleker Bari area in Gazipur city demanding their arrears after 52 hours in the afternoon today, Monday.

However, they have resumed their road blockade programme again after two hours around 4:00 pm.

Workers of the factory stated that they were assured to be paid their arrears even before. But, they didn’t get the wages at the end. The blockade will be withdrawn exactly when they receive money in their accounts, they said.

Workers of the factory and the industrial police stated that there are six factories of TNZ Apparels in Mogarkhal area of Gazipur. About 3,000 workers are employed in these factories. The workers are not receiving any wages for the last three months.

While the workers demonstrated several times demanding their arrears before, members of different law enforcement forces including the industrial police assured of their arrears to be paid. And, the workers returned to the factory with the promises.

However, despite declaring dates of paying their arrears several times, the authorities of the factory did not pay their wages. Later, the workers started demonstrating by blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway around 8:45 am on Saturday morning.

Deputy commissioner (traffic) of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, Ibrahim Khan said that the vehicular movement on the highway had become normal around 2:00 pm in the afternoon today when the workers announced to call off the blockade. However, the workers blocked the highway again around 4:00 pm.

Assistant superintendent of industrial police in Gazipur, Mosharraf Hossain said that hearing of the nonstop workers’ demonstration and the blockade on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, secretary of the labour and employment ministry AHM Shafiquzzaman and Gazipur Sadar upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Ershad Mia along with members of the district administration and army personnel had come to visit.

After the workers were given assurance of their arrears being cleared next Sunday, they left the highway. Discussing it among themselves, the workers withdrew the blockade early in the afternoon. However, they have again taken to the street and continuing with the blockade. Vehicular movement on the highway remains closed from this.