Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) wants Tk 1500 crore assistance from the government to pay workers’ bonus and salaries ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. The knitwear factory owners’ association claimed that the export-oriented sector may be in dire straits over paying workers ahead of Eid if the financial assistance is not provided. BKMEA has sent a letter regarding the financial assistance to the senior secretary at Finance Division, under the Ministry of Finance. The letter, signed by BKMEA President AKM Salim Osman, on March 30 made a request to the government for cash assistance. Read more: Payments to 3,428 garment workers, families approved from Central Fund BKMEA Executive Vice President Muhammad Hatem confirmed the development to UNB today (April 02, 2023). The letter stated that global economy is in an adverse situation due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Bangladesh’s export sector is going through a challenging time during this struggle for survival as well. Due to the ongoing global recession, most factories do not have enough work orders, so production is running at 50 to 60 percent capacity. It has become difficult to pay the workers’ salaries at the end of the month, BKMEA mentioned in the letter. International buyers are also not paying their dues on time for the products already being exported. There is huge pressure regarding paying salaries and Eid bonus this month, the letter added. “In such a situation, it will be very difficult to handle this pressure without the cooperation of the government and the finance department,” BKMEA said. Read More: Selim Osman elected as BKMEA president for 6th term

Bangladesh Hotel Restaurant Sweetmeat Workers Federation (BHRSWF) will stage demonstrations across the country, including in the capital, on Tuesday demanding their salaries, dues and festival bonus. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the BHRSWF held on Thursday night with its vice-president Akhtaruzzaman Khan, said a press release on Friday. As part of the central programme, the BHRSWF leaders and workers will stage a demonstration in front of the Jatiya Press Club at 9:30am. Speaking at the meeting, the BHRSWF leader said thousands of workers of different hotels, restaurants and sweetmeat shops are going through a serious ordeal as the owners are not paying their dues and festival bonus. They alleged that neither the government nor the owners stood by the hotel workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The BHRSWF leaders said the hotel and restaurant owners are resorting to dilly-dallying tactics as the government is not playing its due role in creating pressure on them to clear the dues and pay the bonus to the workers. Talking to UNB, BHRSWF general secretary Anwar Hossain said most hotel restaurant owners are not paying the dues, wages and the festival bonus of their workers, showing an excuse of lockdown and coronavirus pandemic. He said they submitted a seven-point memorandum to the Prime Minister on April 13 to ease their sufferings, protect their jobs and announce incentives for the jobless workers. “But no step has so far taken to meet any of our demand.” He urged the government to ask the hotel owners to clear the dues and festival bonus of their employees and announce incentives for those who lost their jobs amid the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.