A joint committee, with representations from workers and owners, is now working on ensuring the payment of garment workers' dues, monthly salary, festival bonus and overtime bill before Eid-ul-Fitr.

Nine sub-committees have also been formed for nine garment-densed areas in and around Dhaka for settling any dispute regarding salary, bonus and overtime money, said a senior official of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

“If any owner fails to pay his workers dues before the festival, BGMEA will take steps for settling the issue,” said Siddiqur Rahman, BGMEA's vice president - Finance who heads the joint body.

"If any owner tries to deprive his workers willingly, we will try to make him understand to pay the salary on-time. Otherwise, the BGMEA even go for selling machines of the factory concerned to pay the workers."

Rahman, however, pointed to the fact that there are some small factory owners who are really in trouble for order shortage from international buyers. For such problematic factories, BGMEA will lobby on emergency bank loans to pay workers, the sector's trade body leader further said.

“So far, I did not hear any complaint from any group," he says.

The formation of such a joint committee has been a practice over the last three years to minimise any dispute on salary or festival bonus.

Labour and Employment Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain in a meeting with leaders of BGMEA, BKMEA and FBCCI on Sunday alerted garment owners to make it sure that the workers get their dues by Wednesday.

Source : The Daily Star