Over 95% of apparel factories pay April salaries

More than 95 percent of factories across garment and textile associations paid April salaries ahead of Eid-ul-Azha as of yesterday evening, according to Industrial Police (IP) data.

Of 1,790 member factories of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), some 1,740 (97.37 percent) had cleared April wages as of 6:00pm, shows IP data.

Of 708 member factories of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), 680 (96.05 percent) had paid the salaries as of 4:30pm.

In the textile sector, of 382 mills affiliated with the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), 367 (96.07 percent) have paid the April salaries. Of the 390 factories under the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza), 388 mills have also paid salaries for the last month.

The IP data also said some 75 out of 76 jute mills paid the April salary. Some 6,823 out of 6,892 industrial units in other categories paid the salary for the last month.

Bonus payments were somewhat behind wages.

Some 1,570 of 1,790 BGMEA factories had disbursed the festival allowance, alongside 582 of 708 BKMEA units, 325 of 382 BTMA mills, 384 of 390 BEPZA factories, 70 of 76 jute mills, and 5,807 units in other categories.

Meanwhile, BGMEA separately claimed that 99.48 percent of its 2,123 active factories had cleared April wages, with 96.49 percent paying the Eid bonus and 58.25 percent disbursing May salaries in advance.

BGMEA president Mahmud Hasan Khan said only two member factories – one with 1,800 workers and another with 1,200 -- had yet to pay bonuses to their workers.

“We are working with the management of the two factories, and I am very much hopeful that they will be able to pay their workers by tomorrow [Tuesday],” he said.

Khan also said around half of BGMEA factories had begun their Eid holiday as of May 25, with the rest set to close within two days. Reopening is scheduled for June 3-5.

Md Towhidur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Apparels Workers Federation, said field reports on salary and bonus disbursement were satisfactory.

He noted that previously, many of the factories used to delay in payment of salary and bonus to their workers, but this time, he claimed to have not heard any such reports of non-payment of salary and bonus.

He noted, however, that workers were facing difficulties withdrawing cash from bank ATMs due to shortages at the machines.

He also said some of the factories may pay their workers one day ahead of the Eid, but they will pay as there is no dissatisfaction among the workers regarding the payment.

Industrial Police officials note that timely salary payment is a key factor in reducing labour unrest ahead of Eid, when pressure traditionally builds over unpaid wages and festival allowances.

The government has also instructed the factory owners in the Tripartite Consultative Council (TCC) to give the salary and bonus timely to avoid any untoward incident in the RMG sector ahead of the Eid festival.