Around 100 readymade garment (RMG) factories in Ashulia and Gazipur industrial belts suspended operation as workers continued demonstrations on various demands despite increase in attendance and tiffin allowances, sources said.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) at a meeting with the law enforcing agencies, labour leaders and factory owners in Ashulia area on Monday night agreed to increase attendance allowance by Tk 225 and tiffin allowance by Tk 10 irrespective of the amount the workers in Ashulia are currently receiving.
They said at least 42 RMG factories located in Ashulia industrial belt announced Tuesday holiday with pay to avert further trouble as the labour unrest has peaked in the last several days.
According to law-enforcing agencies and industry sources, an additional 32 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.
In Gazipur, nearly two dozen factories could not operate and mostly announced holiday after lunch as workers observed work abstention or left after joining and created chaos, they noted.
According to the BGMEA account, some 42 garment factories announced holiday on the day with pay while workers of 11 factories left the workplaces and workers in additional 21 units demonstrated inside the premises.
Talking to the FE, Khadiza Akter, general secretary of Sammilito Garments Sramik Federation, said all workers are not informed about BGMEA's Monday night decision of increasing attendance bonus by Tk 225 and tiffin by Tk 10 while it also announced that no workers be blacklisted and recruitment would be done based on skills.
BGMEA on Monday night in a meeting with labour leaders and garment factory owners based in Ashulia and law enforcing agencies took the decision, she noted.
Workers in these two industrial zones have been protesting for more than a week demanding increase in attendance and tiffin allowance, providing full attendance allowance despite leave, recruitment of male worker and reducing the male female ration and change in managements in some of the units with the change in government.
BGMEA director Ashikur Rahman Tuhin after Monday night meeting told the FE that garment workers in Ashulia will now get an additional Tk 225 as attendance allowance and Tk 10 as tiffin allowance per month.
Attendance allowance is being given in the factories to encourage workers to maintain regular attendance at their respective workplaces, he said, adding factories provide a varied amounts of attendance and tiffin allowances based on their capacity.
Talking to the FE, Mohiuddin Rubel, a director of BGMEA, said 42 factories announced general holiday with pay as they did not feel comfortable to keep units open while the rest could not operate as workers came up with new demands which is not even 'significant' like removal of some managements staff in particular floors.
He also admitted that the enhancement decision came at late last night which might lead a good number of factories to closure.
When asked, Shovon Islam, managing director of Sparrow Apparels Ltd, said the suspension of production has been affecting the industry badly as buyers are not satisfied with the ongoing situation.
They (buyers) are expressing concern whether factories could operate and produce goods in time, he said, adding at the end buyers need garments at their stores.
A good share of work orders have already shifted to other competitors including neighbouring ones, he said, adding that work orders worth US$2.0 billion to $4.0 billion might have shifted.
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