Ready-made garment factories in Savar’s Ashulia region will reopen from Friday after three days of closure due to worker protests.
BGMEA President Atiqul Islam announced the decision to reopen after a meeting of garment factory owners, representatives of the worker-groups, Home Minister, Labour Minister and the Shipping Minister on Thursday.
“All factories of Ashulia will open on Friday. Wages for Friday will be paid as overtime,” he said.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, BGMEA, had closed down factories ‘troubled’ by worker protests in the Ashulia belt on Tuesday.
The workers were demonstrating for wage-hike, workplace security and much else.
According to BGMEA statistics, there are 320 RMG factories in Ashulia that account for 20 percent of the country’s net garment output.
Atiqul Islam said after Rana Plaza collapse, production in about 90 percent of these factories in Ashulia was disrupted by worker protests.
Global concerns about Bangladesh’s garment workers surged after the Rana Plaza collapse and the government formed a wage board to consider a pay hike for them.
Source: Bd news24