Labour Unrest in Ashulia 100 RMG units halt production

Production at minimum 100 garment factories in Ashulia industrial belt was suspended on Thursday as the workers continued their demonstration refusing to join work.

The workers have been demonstrating for several weeks demanding a hike in their salaries.

All the garment factories in Ashulia opened around 8:00am Thursday following assurances of security by the government.

But workers of at least 100 garment factories refused to join work and left the workplaces around 8:30am, said Reaz-Bin-Mahmood, vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Locals said the demonstrating workers took to the streets and blockaded Abdullahpur-Baipail road in the morning. But police charged batons and dispersed the workers after half an hour, they said.

Mustafizur Rahman, director (Dhaka range) of Industrial Police at Ashulia, however said the workers tried to barricade the road but left the scene in face of police resistance.

On May 13, garment makers decided to close around 200 factories in Ashulia for an indefinite period due to continued labour unrest over wage and attendance bonus hike.

After three days, the factories were reopened following the government’s assurances to provide security to the garment factories.

But the authorities of some of the factories were compelled to shut the units on Tuesday and Wednesday following fresh labour unrest over the same demand.

Source: The Daily Star