Workers of only one RMG group continue to block the highway due to debts

Hundreds of garment workers blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for the second consecutive day yesterday, demanding unpaid wages from TNZ Apparels, which operates six garment factories in Gazipur.

The protest caused severe traffic disruptions, with Dhaka’s connection with Tangail and Mymensingh virtually cut off, and long-distance buses and container trucks carrying export cargo stranded in huge queues.

Large container trucks and long-distance buses carrying export-import cargo have been stuck in long queues since Saturday morning, while protesting workers, many of whom stayed there all day and night, refused to lift the blockade until their two-month debts were paid.

Gazipur Industrial Police-2 Inspector Sarwar Alam said around 30 factories in the area were closed to prevent further unrest.

He said that the police, together with the army, were trying to persuade the workers to lift the blockade and that he expected a solution from the initiative of the garment association and the labor directorate.

According to Gazipur Industrial Police and labor sources, six factories of TNZ Apparels Limited Group in Maleker Bari area of ​​Gazipur city have outstanding wages for September and October.

Protesting workers said the factories had been closed since April and although operations later resumed, the management began delaying the payment of wages for two months.

Despite various mediation efforts led by police and military officials, the agreed-upon deadline of November 7 came and went without payment, they said.

A worker named Abul Kalam said, “The management keeps making promises but doing nothing. We have been waiting for our salaries for months. We will not leave until we get our salaries.”

“Even we can’t trust the owner anymore. How can we reassure the workers that they will get their dues and want to go home?” Industrial Police Inspector Sarwar Alam said on Sunday afternoon.

Attempts to obtain a statement from TNZ Apparels Limited management were unsuccessful.

The industrial hub near the capital Dhaka suffered a series of labor unrest in August and September that badly hampered its biggest export sector.

The interim government and garment industry unions have managed to put an end to these, but the problem persists in small pockets involving one or a few factories not paying workers.

But every time, highways become the common choice of agitators and cause great damage to public life and businesses because highways are a lifeline.

The labor ministry, under interim rule, has instructed law enforcement to handle workers’ legitimate grievances with compassion but take a tough stance against anyone found inciting unrest.

In his meeting yesterday, Labor and Employment Adviser Asif Mahmum Shojib Bhuyain said that factory owners are trying to help workers pay their salaries, but finding an immediate solution is a complex issue.

The blockade enters its second day

The queues stretched for approximately 20 km in both directions of the highway; from Tongi to Rajendrapur on one side and beyond Konabari on the Dhaka-Tangail highway.

It had been 32 hours since the blockade was imposed and Gazipur police were issuing alternative routes and diversions, encouraging vehicles from Vogra and Tongi station road to use 300 Feet road using Dhaka ring road and Kanchan bridge.

Even as smaller and local vehicles were reaching their destinations through alternative routes, large container trucks carrying goods to Chattogram Port remained stranded on the highway.

Most of the vehicles stuck in traffic were either freight vehicles or passenger buses. Many of them set out for their destinations the night before but were stuck in gridlock and were unable to proceed.

Among the stranded cargo carriers were trucks carrying perishable goods. While many passengers left their buses by walking or looking for alternative ways to reach their destination, many vehicles were stranded in traffic without passengers.

What happened to TNZ Apparels?

TNZ Apparels, part of the TNZ Group, began its clothing export operations in 2007 and has expanded steadily over the years, according to the company’s website.

Gazipur Industrial Police Inspector Sarwar Alam said the company was run by two owners, one of whom is currently abroad.

The owner, who remains in the country, has reportedly sought help from the government to resolve the crisis, specifically demanding Tk11-Tk12 crore from the government for recovery of two months’ unpaid wages.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) lists Shahadat Hossain Shamim as managing director of TNZ Apparels.

According to a senior BGMEA official, Shamim has been a resident of Saudi Arabia for a long time, leaving the company’s management strapped for resources and struggling to operate effectively.

Despite giving assurances in numerous meetings with BGMEA representatives, TNZ management has reportedly failed to meet pay commitments to its employees on at least 13 separate occasions, most recently promising to pay dues by 9 November.

The official added that previous assurances included payment of September salaries by November 7 and within 15 days by October, but these deadlines were not met either.

“TNZ management has now requested funds from the central workers’ welfare fund to pay wages. However, this fund was set up as per the instruction of Bangladesh Bank not to meet individual factory debts but to promote workers’ welfare,” he said.

According to labor rules, banks deduct 0.03% from the export value of all export-oriented ready-made clothing sectors and transfer them to this central fund.

The BGMEA official questioned the motive of the owner of the facility, suggesting that the situation could be an attempt to put pressure on the interim government or destabilize the industrial zone.

He added that TNZ owners may have to lease or sell assets to meet the company’s obligations.

BGMEA data reveals that TNZ Apparels employs more than 5,000 workers. Hidayet Ullah, who serves as the chairman of the board of directors of the factory, claims that he has no shares in the company.