Leaders of Bangladesh Awami League yesterday sharply criticised the leaders of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) for expressing their inability to pay workers dues before the coming Eid festival. Acting general secretary of the party Mahbubul Alam Hanif said that the comments of BGMEA leaders were a part of a conspiracy to create anarchy and instability in the country."

While addressing an extended meeting of city Awami League at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city Hanif called upon the garment owners to clear up wages and allowances to garment workers before Eid. The BGMEA leaders have given an ultimatum to the government to give them Tk 3000 crore, otherwise they would not pay their labours' wages and festival bonus, he said. "You the owners will do business while the government will have to pay wages to the workers. Is it not a farce?" he said pointing at the garment industry owners. Most of the leaders of the ruling party came down heavily on the leaders of the apex body of garment owners.

BGMEA President Abdus Salam Murshedy at a press conference on Thursday said that the government would have to give them Tk 3,000 crore within September 7 otherwise they would not be able to pay workers' wages and bonus before the Eid. Murshedy also said they would not be responsible for any labour unrest if the government doesn't sanction the stimulus package on due time. In the budget for the current fiscal year 2009-10, the government announced a stimulus package of Tk 5,000 crore to help combat the effects of financial meltdown.

After the ultimatum of the BGMEA leaders different labour organisations has started demanding their wages and festival bonus before Eid creating a possibility of unrest in the industry. The acting general secretary of the ruling party claimed that "conspiracies were going on" to create unrest in the garment sector.

Hanif further said that "ghosts" in the Commerce Ministry were obstructing the government's move to activate the state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), which is responsible for creating competitiveness with private sector to keep prices of daily commodities under control. "Despite repeated directives by the prime minister, TCB could not be made fully effective due to obstruction by this group of people in the ministry," he said.

Admitting that the government could not fully rein in price spirals, Hanif said, "The government is determined to bring prices of essentials under control". He also asked the party leaders and activists to stand against profiteers and help curbing price spiral. He also said anti-liberation elements, war criminals and murderers of Bangabandhu were trying to make the government unstable.

-New Nation

Pay garment workers before Eid: AL leader

bdnews: Awami League acting general secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif on Saturday asked factory owners to clear up wages and allowances to garment workers before Eid. He also claimed "conspiracies were going on" to create unrest in the garment sector, but he would not elaborate on the nature of the conspiracies and who might be behind them, as he addressed party activists in the party headquarters at Bangabandhu Avenue.

His statement came two days after leaders of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said that many of the factories were unable to pay wages and salaries before Eid, as the sector had been pinched by the global economic crisis. It demanded assistance from the government, but finance minister AMA Muhith later turned down the plea.

Hanif further said "ghosts" in the commerce ministry were obstructing the government's move to activate the state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), which is responsible for creating competitiveness with private sector to keep prices of daily commodities under control.

"Despite repeated directives by the prime minister, TCB could not be made fully effective due to obstruction by this group of people in the ministry," he said. Admitting that the government has failed to fully rein in price spirals, Hanif said: "The government is determined to bring prices of essentials under control". He also said anti-liberation elements, war criminals and murderers of Bangabandhu were trying to make the government unstable.