No source of income for thousands of hotel workers amid pandemic

Thousands of workers of different hotels, restaurants and sweet shops are going through a tough time without jobs as most eateries were shut down amid a government-announced general holiday to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

Talking to news agency UNB, some restaurant workers and their leaders said most of the owners had shut their eateries without clearing their wages and dues, leaving them at lurch amid an apparent countrywide lockdown and halt in economic activities.

They want their employers to stand by them and help them survive with their family members at this critical time.

The workers also urged the government to put pressure on the hotel owners to pay their wages alongside introducing food rationing for them and announcing a small amount of grant or stimulus package for their sector to ease their woes.

“Our owner closed the hotel on 24 March giving us some small amount of money. Though I don’t have any source of income now, I’ve to buy food and other essentials for my four family members. I’ve no alternative to begging which is also not possible now as law enforcers don’t allow people to go outside,” said Bhara Mia, who used to work as a waiter at a restaurant in the capital’s Mouchak area.

He said he phoned his employer to clear his dues, but the owner said he was under pressure to pay the restaurant’s rent. “I don’t know how I’ll support my family.”

Abul Kalam, a waiter of a restaurant in the city’s Rampura Bazar, said he could not go home as their owners assured that he’ll keep the eatery open. “But the restaurant was shut on 27 March. I along with some other co-workers are now staying inside the restaurant in this risky period. We get food from our employer, but he gave us partial salary that I sent home. My family is in serious trouble to meet the daily expenses with that meagre amount of money.”

As a waiter, Kalam said, he used to earn more from tips than his wage. “Now I’ve no tips either. Both the government and the owners should extend their helping hands to assuage our sufferings.”

Bangladesh Hotel Restaurant and Sweetmeat Workers Federation general secretary Anwar Hossain said most of the hotel and restaurant owners have shut their shops without paying the dues and wages of their workers.

He said there are at least 10,000 hotels and restaurants in the capital where around 200,000 people work as waiters, chefs, cooks and bread-makers with small amount of wage. “Most waiters depend on tips from customers. Without job and wage, they’re now passing through an inhuman life.”

Anwar said some workers could go to their village homes before the closure of public transports while many of them are now stuck in the capital with their families.

He urged the government to ask the hotel owners to clear the dues of their employees and provide them wages until the situation gets normal.

Anwar also urged the government to introduce food rationing system for them and announce a grant so that the huge number of low-income workers of the sector can survive with their families.

Bangladesh Hotel Restaurant, Sweetmeat and Backer Workers Union president Akhtruzzaman said the owners violated the labour law by shutting down their eateries without paying the employees their salary.

As per the law, he said, the owners should continue paying their employees during this time of natural disaster. “The owners made good profit round the year. Now they’ve the responsibility to stand by their workers and clear their wages. The government should enforce the labour law in this regard.”

Akhter said they submitted an application to the chief inspector of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment on 25 March to take actions in this regard.

Talking to news agency UNB, Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association secretary general Rezaul Karim Sarker Robin said their sector has been hit hard by the coronavirus shutdown. “There’re around 1.2 million workers directly involved with our sector. Besides, over 10 million people, including fish and meat traders, vegetable sellers and grocers are involved with our sector. With the closure of our eateries all of these people are affected.”

He claimed most eatery owners cleared the wages of their staff, but it’s not enough. “We’re helping our employees as much as we can. But we’re also under pressure. Though the hotels are shut we’ve to pay huge amount of rents and bills of the utility services. We can’t give them wages if our hotels remain closed. It’s only the government which can help our poor workers by providing food and giving some grant.”