Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has ordered employers to pay workers’ pending wages within seven working days and ensure Eid bonuses are disbursed by March 12.
The directive came during the 94th meeting of the Tripartite Consultative Council (TCC) and the 22nd meeting of the RMG-related TCC held Tuesday at the CIRDAP International Conference Centre under the initiative of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Ariful Haque Chowdhury, who presided over the meeting, emphasised the importance of coordination between employers and workers to prevent public inconvenience.
He warned that no worker should face layoffs or terminations without valid reasons and noted that, according to the General Holiday Notification of the Ministry of Public Administration and the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, Eid holidays should be mutually agreed upon by management and workers.
The meeting was attended by Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, State Minister for Labour and Employment Md Nurul Haque, and Prime Minister’s Office Adviser Mahdi Amin.
Participants reviewed the overall labour situation in the country, measures to address unrest in the ready-made garments (RMG) sector, and arrangements for timely payment of wages, bonuses, and leave for workers ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
State Minister Md Nurul Haque stressed, “Considering the current national and global situation, worker dissatisfaction must be avoided at all costs. Wages and allowances must be paid on time.”
Workers’ representatives called for the rapid settlement of pending wages and Eid bonuses, and urged that maternity leave for female workers be extended to six months.
Bangladesh Employers’ Federation President Fazle Shamim Ehsan and TCC Vice-Chairman Md Anwar Hossain also addressed the programme.
