Around a hundred export-oriented garment factories remained closed amid unrest as a section of workers staged demonstrations through Ashulia-Gazipur industrial belts despite security deployment, sources said Monday.
They said 85 readymade garment (RMG) factories located in Ashulia and Gazipur industrial belts announced Monday holiday with pay to avert far more troubles as the labour unrest has been on stream for a week now.
According to law-enforcing agencies and industry sources, an additional two dozen factories were unable to operate on the day as workers either left the units after arriving at their respective workplaces or went on protest inside the premises over various demands.
They also claimed that big groups like Sharmin and Hameem announced holiday on Monday in fear of any untoward incident as they alone have more than 30,000 workers, and "if they come out onto the streets or gather, it would be difficult to manage them and may lead to closure of the adjacent units".
According to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), some 88 garment factories, including Sharmin, Hameem, Sterling, Ananta and Windy Groups, announced holiday on the day with pay.
Out of 88, some 65 factories are located in Savar, Ashulia and Zirani areas and the rest in Gazipur.
Also, workers from 13 factories left the workplaces while workers at additional eight units demonstrated inside the premises, according to the trade body's account.
Labour leaders, however, alleged that both outsiders and internal problems of factories are responsible for the ongoing unrest.
Talking to the FE correspondent, Amirul Haque Amin, president of National Garment Workers Federation, said outsiders, especially political groups, are engaged in taking control of garment-related trades like jhut (waste garment), extra fabrics, tiffin, food and transportation in the local areas with the change of government.
On the other hand, there are also problems in factories as many terminated workers previously are allegedly blacklisted with the help of BGMEA database and now remain unemployed.
Workers were also terminated due to unionization while workers are agitated for various reasons, including nonpayment and timely payment of wages, a varied amount of bonus and misbehaviour of some mid-level people, the trade-union leader notes.
"We call upon factory owners to pay wages timely while requested a clear announcement over blacklisting that no workers be included in such list. But owners pay little heed," he deplores.
Still there are 15 to 20 factories in the unrest-prone industrial belts that have yet to pay July wages, he said, adding that they are talking to the workers through their respective trade unions so that they join workplaces and realize their demands through discussion.
Mr Amin, however, argues that authorities concerned should be strict on the outsiders who create disturbances while workers be treated with 'tolerance'.
According to BGMEA data, some 1,319 units out of its listed 2,145 active factories are yet to pay August wages.
Only 38.51 per cent or 826 BGMEA factories had paid August wages until Monday, it added.
The BGMEA leaders, meanwhile, sat with law-enforcing agencies, labour leaders and factory owners of the affected areas to get over the current situation in Bangladesh's main export sector. The meeting had been in progress until the filing of the report at 8.30 pm.
The latest labour unrest that started last Monday with the closure of some 100 units that followed on 126 on Tuesday, 167 on Wednesday and 129 on Thursday.
Later on Saturday, labour situation improved but still 50 factories had suspended operation as workers left after joining the workplaces while 40 were shut on Sunday.
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