Over two dozen of garment factories in the export-oriented industrial belt located in Ashulia suffered production disruption Thursday for fresh demonstrations demanding higher wages and annual increment.
At least 29 apparel factories in the belt suspended operation as workers struck work by rejecting the latest government announcement on an additional 4.0-percent annual-increment hike, sources said.
The labour and employment ministry on December 09 raised the garment workers' annual wage increment to 9.0 per cent from the existing 5.0 per cent with effect from this month amid labour protest.
Amidst the renewed industrial unrest, eight factories announced closure under Section 13(1) of the Labour Law while another eight announced holiday. And workers of 13 factories observed work abstention or did not work after joining work.
Earlier, workers' representatives proposed a 15-percent annual wage hike which they later reviewed twice to 12 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.
On the contrary, owners' representatives proposed an increment of 6.0 per cent and later 8.0 per cent.
As they failed to come to a consensus during a meeting lasting over five hours, the committee head, MoLE Additional secretary Sabur Hossain, proposed a hike by 4.0 per cent to raise the annual increment to 9.0 per cent.
The representatives of both sides-owner and labour--agreed and signed on the increment agreement. Some in the industrial circles and the current interim government smell outside instigation behind such unrest even after wage hikes.
Munni_fe@yahoo.com