Talking to UNB, some restaurant workers and their leaders said most owners 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.

They also urged the government to create pressure on the hotel owners to pay their unpaid 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 March 24 giving us some small amounts of money. Now I’ve no income source, but I’ve to buy food and other essentials for my four family members. I’ve no alternative to begging which is also now not possible as law enforcers don’t allow people to go outside,” Bhara Mia, a waiter wo used to work at a restaurant in the city’s Mouchak area, told UNB.

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

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 March 27. I along with some other co-workers are now staying inside the restaurant amid the risk of coronavirus. We get food from our employer, but he gave us partial salary what I sent home. My family is in serious trouble to meet the daily expenses with that meager amount of money.”

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

Contacted, general secretary of Bangladesh Hotel Restaurant and Sweetmeat Workers Federation Anwar Hossain said most hotel restaurant owners shut their shops without paying the dues and wages of their workers, putting them in serious hardship.

He said there are at least 10,000 hotels and restaurants in the capital where around 2,00000 waiters, chefs, cooks, severs and bread-makers work 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 had been able to their village homes before the closure of the public transport 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 huge number of low-income workers of the sector can survive with their families.

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

As per the labour law, he said the owners should continue to pay 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 March 25 for taking action in this regard.

Talking to 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 12 lakh workers directly involved with our sector, besides, over a crore, including fish traders, meat traders, vegetable sellers and grocers are also 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.”