All RMG units at Ashulia to remain shut today

All garment factories at Ashulia industrial belt will remain closed today (Wednesday) for security reasons following continuous labour unrest there.

The decision was taken Tuesday at an emergency meeting of the garment manufacturers of Ashulia zone that accommodates about 269 garment units. The meeting was held at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) headquarters.

Abdus Salam Murshedy, convener of the Ashulia Zone owners committee, informed the FE about their decision saying they will sit again this evening to review the overall situation including the labour unrest and decide their next course of action.

Most of the factories in Ashulia apparel industrial hub were shut Tuesday in the face of apparel workers' unrest over the latest wage proposal.

The trouble stretched into the third consecutive day when thousands of labourers demonstrated in the streets in the morning and engaged in sporadic clashes with the law enforcers, demanding immediate implementation of the latest wage structure proposed by the wage board (WB) last week.

Over 50 people, including eight policemen, were injured during the skirmishes that rocked Jamgorah, Zirani, Kabirpur, Baipail, Palashbari, Narasinghapur, Ghosbagh, Pukurpar, Kathgorah and Nishchintapur areas of the hub.

Police and witnesses said the trouble erupted at about 8:30am when workers of several factories came out of their units, protesting the stand of the manufacturers who are yet to accept the WB's proposal of Tk 5,300 as minimum monthly wage for the sector's nearly 4.0 million workers.

Deputy director of Industrial Police-1 (Ashulia and Savar) Zahirul Islam said the protesters turned unruly at one stage and started vandalising factories after disrupting traffic movement on Dhaka-Tangail Highway.

 "We fired teargas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the troublemakers from the highway as well as to maintain law and order at the highly sensitive apparel belt," he said.

The readymade garment (RMG) workers, infuriated at the police action, threw brickbats and stones at the law enforcers, causing causalities.

As the situation worsened, authorities of the factories like Sterling Group, Envoy Group, Ha-Meem Group, Medlar Fashions, Ananta Group, Hollywood Fashions, Scandex Group and JK Fashions declared suspension of work for the day.  

"Almost all the factories under the industrial area suspended production for the day to avert large scale of vandalism and violence," Mr. Islam said.

The country's highest foreign currency earning sector has been witnessing labour unrest for the last several days after BGMEA and BKMEA representatives walked out of the Wage Board meeting, refusing to accept their proposal.

The garment owners initially offered a minimum wage of Tk 3,600, later agreeing to raise to Tk 4,250. On the other hand the workers' representatives have been demanding Tk 8,100 as the minimum wage.

Director of Industrial Police-1 Mostafizur Rahman said the authorities concerned should take immediate steps so that both workers' representatives and owners can reach a consensus over the matter.

"Further delay in the negotiation process could lead workers to massive violence, which will not be good for the industry," he said.

When contacted, Sterling Group Chairman Siddiqur Rahman said there is a misunderstanding among the workers. They think the Wage Board's recent proposal for wage hike is final and fixed one.

"After placing of the final proposal by the WB, there is a 15-day period for submitting objections to the recommendations. If no one submits any objection, then it will automatically be treated as final," he said, adding that owners placed objection that the industry does not have the capacity to pay more than Tk 4500 as minimum monthly wage to the workers.

"So, the workers should wait until the final decision of the Wage Board after analysing our objection," he said, adding that some quarters are probably misguiding the workers only to put the industry at risk.

Sterling Group is one of the country's leading apparel conglomerates, which has five units located at the violence-hit Jamgorah area. The group employs around 12,000 workers for manufacturing garment products.

Workers' representatives in the RMG sector called upon the workers to remain calm and urged the Wage Board authority to finalise the proposal after making some changes.

Bangladesh National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) President Amirul Haque Amin said the ongoing trouble at the garment factories indicates that tension over the latest wage has gripped the workers.

"So, any further delay in the wage fixation process would cost the industry high. The owners must show a positive attitude towards the wage structure before the unrest goes out of control," he said.

Combined Garment Workers Federation President Nazma Akhter called upon the Industrial Police authority not to act harshly at this critical moment as it could spread the turmoil to other industrial belts.

Our Correspondent adds from Narayanganj: Hundreds of workers of different apparel factories at Fatullah and Sonargoan area observed abstention demanding minimum monthly wage at Tk 8,100 and reinstatement of the sacked workers.

Sinha-Opex group manager Deloar Hossain said that some workers willingly came to the factory but left after punching their gate entry card. They did not join the work.

Acting police super of industrial police unit-4 Masud Ahmed said the situation is calm now.