Workers of a garment factory named Style Craft Limited in Gazipur staged a protest on Thursday demanding arrears salary, overtime and holiday payments. The agitated workers blocked the Dhaka-Gazipur road for about two hours.
As a result, all types of vehicles were stopped on that part of the Dhaka-Joydevpur road, causing long traffic jams and causing misery to the passengers. About 5,000 workers of Style Craft Garment Factory were unpaid for the last two months including overtime and annual leave payments, protesting workers complained. The authorities promised to pay several times but did not. Workers join the factory work in the morning like every day. However, the workers protested by blocking the road, as there is no initiative of the authorities to pay the arrears.
Besides, the workers started agitation demanding payment of salary allowance and Eid bonus for the month of April before the last Eid holiday. Then in the pressure of the workers' movement, the partial dues of that month were paid.
Gazipur Industrial Police Inspector Sameer Chandra Sutradhar said, "The workers went on strike and demonstrated in front of the factory around 8 am demanding their arrears and annual leave. At one stage, the workers blocked the Dhaka-Joydevpur road at around 9:30 am. As a result, all types of vehicles were stopped on that road."
Zakir Hasan, Gazipur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner said, "Factory authorities have been contacted to pay the workers' arrears. Police are trying to control the situation by holding conciliation meetings with the owners and workers. The blocked vehicles are being diverted in two directions."
The authority of the factory did not make any comment to the reporters over the matter. At the time of writing, the workers were standing in front of the factory and on the road till 5:15 pm.
--- Mahbubul in Alam Gazipur