Workers of 3,161 industrial units out of the 9,616 in eight areas under the jurisdiction of the Industrial Police across the country are yet to be paid wages for March.
The factories are located in Ashulia, Gazipur, Chattogram, Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Khulna Comilla and Sylhet.
Highest 1,015 factories in Ashulia Zone did not pay wages to the workers for March followed by 843 industrial units in Narayanganj and 833 in Gazipur until Friday, according to the statistics of the Industrial Police.
Data showed that wages for March remained unpaid in nearly 33 per cent of factories although as per the Labour Act it was supposed to be paid within the first seven working days of April.
Out of the 3,161 factories that are yet to pay wages of March, 717 are readymade garment and textile units, two are jute mills and 2,440 are other units, the data showed.
Of the 717 RMG and textile units, 346 are members of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, 254 units are listed with the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, 108 are members of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association and nine are under the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority.
BGMEA vice-president Md Shahidullah Azim on Saturday told New Age that more than 80 per cent of their member factories paid workers wages and rest of the units would make payment within two or three days.
He said that the wages for March remained unpaid in very few factories due to cash crisis as the companies kept facing trouble due to the lack of required export orders.
The IP data show that there are a total of 9,616 industrial units in eight zones under the jurisdiction of the Industrial Police and 6,455 units or 67.13 per cent of them paid wages for March to their workers.
(NA)