The authorities of many ready-made garment factories in Gazipur and Ashulia announced on Thursday the suspension of their production for an indefinite period by applying the ‘no work, no pay’ rule following demonstrations of workers demanding a wage hike. Several thousand RMG workers in Gazipur and Ashulia clashed with police on Thursday, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 23,000, police and witnesses said.
Workers said that most factories that were suspended announced to apply Section 13(1) of the Labour Act, which would allow them to keep workers unpaid during the layoff period.
Notices served by the factory authorities said that workers remained illegally absent from work, hampering production, which made management compelled to shut down their respective units until a favourable environment was restored.
Islam Group of Industries Ltd, Cotton Club (BD) Ltd, Montex Fabrics Ltd, Mondol Fabrics Ltd, International Trading Service Ltd, Kaizer Knitwear Ltd, AMA Syntex Ltd, Alim Knit Bd Ltd and Ripon Knitwear Ltd are among the factories that declared themselves shut for indefinite period under the 13 (1) of labour law.
Dhaka North City Corporation mayor Atiqul Islam, who is one of the owners of Islam Group, said that factory owners would not pay workers if they did not join the production.
‘We have taken the decision legally,’ he said.
On October 23, workers started demonstrations protesting a proposal of Tk 10,400 as a minimum made by the owners’ representative on October 22 to the Minimum Wage Board formed by the government.
Since then, at least three workers have been killed in the wage hike movement.
Scores of people were also injured in clashes between workers and police during the protests in Gazipur, Dhaka, and Ashulia.
Factory owners on Tuesday proposed a minimum wage of Tk 12,500 for RMG workers, which the government readily accepted.
State minister for labour affairs Monnujan Sufian made the formal announcement of the new minimum wage on Tuesday, hours after the owners’ representative proposed the amount in the sixth meeting of the government-formed Minimum Wage Board.
Trade union leaders refused the new minimum wage and vowed to continue protesting for Tk 23,000 as the minimum wage for garment workers.
Presently, apparel workers are getting a minimum wage of Tk 8,000, which the government fixed in 2018, raising it from Tk 5,300 in 2013.
On Thursday, agitated workers blocked Tongi-Abdullahpur Road and Dhaka-Tangail Highway to press their demand of Tk 23,000 minimum wage, said police.
At least 10 people, including two policemen, were injured in clashes between workers and police, police and workers said.
Police charged workers with batons and fired
teargas shells to disperse the workers from the
road.
The superintendent of Ashulia Industrial Police, Sarwar Alam, said that several thousand workers from Nishchintapur, Jamgora, and Jirabo took to the streets on Thursday, leaving their work.
At least 65 factories were compelled to suspend their production in the area due to the unrest, he said.
Workers said that most of the factories were shut down for an indefinite period under no-pay, no-wage rules.
Ashulia police station officer-in-charge SM Kamruzzaman said that two policemen, including industrial police ASP Rashidul Bari, were injured as workers pelted stones at the police during a clash.
Ashulia Women and Children Hospital officials said that three workers were given treatment at the hospital for injuries sustained during the protest.
In Gazipur, workers of several factories at Konabari, Jarul, Chandona, and Shafipur started agitation in the morning for a wage hike, reports New Age correspondent in Gazipur.
The workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Highway at Konabari and other streets to press their demand.
Police said that at least 50 factories were shut down to avoid untoward incidents.
A total of 44 Border Guard Bangladesh platoons have been deployed in Dhaka and adjacent areas to maintain law and order.
BGB troops have been deployed in Ashulia, Savar, Mirpur, Gazipur, and other parts of the country, said Shariful Islam, public relations officer at BGB headquarters.
Rapid Action Battalion-1 commander Mohammad Moshtauqe Ahmed said that the RAB arrested 27 people involved in labour unrest. He suspected that a group of people might try to get political gain from the workers’ movement.
Bangladesh Garment Workers Front, Garment Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, and Bangladesh Mohila Parishad were among others to condemn the deaths of workers and seek justice.
New Age
