BGMEA decides to reopen all Ashulia units today
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
FE Report
Buckling under pressure from the government, the apparel trade group, BGMEA, has decided to reopen all factories at Ashulia in Gazipur from today (Wednesday).
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said Tuesday it has requested all factory owners to reopen their apparel and textile units at Ashulia.
"We got assurance of security from the government. That encouraged us to put off production suspension," BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy told a briefing in the city.
He urged all factory owners to be present in the early hours at their factories and take measures to reopen their apparel units located in Ashulia-the hub of apparel and textile units.
The BGMEA chief called upon the government to prepare a list of labour leaders blamed for fomenting the labour trouble within the next three days and arrest those who are responsible.
Persons familiar with the situation said ruling party lawmakers and officials have mounted pressure on the BGMEA to reopen their factories and also held put the assurance of security.
Murad Jong MP told the BGMEA leaders: "I am taking the responsibility. You (owners of RMG units) will have to remain present in the early morning and factories will operate as usual."
The BGMEA's prompt decision came after the government issued a warning that it would not "tolerate" any chaos in the multi-billion-dollar-garment industry and would deal with restive situation with an iron hand.
"We'll not tolerate violation of law or any chaos in the garment or any other industry. We'll not hesitate to go for tough action," labour and employment minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters after nearly a two-hour meeting with BGMEA, FBCCI and workers leaders at his ministry Tuesday.
He said a move is underway to unveil an "acceptable" wage-scale for the workers before July 28.
The Minister said tough action would be taken against anyone who provokes the situation, regardless of even owners.
A tripartite wage board was formed on April 28 and the minister said the government is willing to spike the wages for the garment workers.
Also, the government entrusted three local lawmakers with the responsibility of bringing the deadly unrest under control in the industrial zones in Gazipur, Ashulia and Narayanganj zones.
AKM Mozammel Huq MP and Zahidul Hasan Russel MP will oversee the Gazipur zone, while Ashulia Zone will be by Murad Jong MP and Narayanganj Zone by Kabari Sarwar MP.
In addition, a control room, headed by a joint secretary at the Labour Ministry, will be set up at the Factory Inspection Office to monitor the situation.
Garment workers' violent agitation against low wages amid the owners' unilateral decision to close all units in Ashulia continued Tuesday, forcing the government to announce a deadline for a new pay scale.
Labour Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters they would fix minimum monthly basic wage for the country's 3.5 million workers by July 28 in a move to calm the apparel workers, who have been demonstrating over wage-hike at some industrial hubs for the last several months.
He also said the government would divide Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur into three regions and deploy local lawmakers to deal with dissatisfaction of the garment workers.
Mr Mosharraf disclosed it after a meeting with law enforcers and parliament members at the ministry.
Earlier in the day, the minister after a meeting with apparel makers and top business leaders said the government would not tolerate the violence despite its decision to increase the salaries of garment workers within the next three months.
"We'll show zero tolerance for any attempts to destabilise the country's RMG sector," Mosharraf said, adding that stern action would be taken against instigators even if they are from any owners' group.
The warning from the authorities comes as tens of thousands of garment workers - the lowest paid apparel workers in the world as has been told by an international trade union body - went on rampage for the fourth consecutive day protesting low wages.
The unilateral decision by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Monday night to close down all factories in Ashulia for an indefinite period has added fuel to the fire.
Police said the infuriated workers became unruly in the morning after they came to know the decision taken by the BGMEA during in an emergency meeting with Ashulia-based factory owners, forcing the law enforcers to tackle the situation strictly.
The workers vandalised glasses of dozens of factories and damaged a number of vehicles by blockading Dhaka-Tangail highway for hours.
"The protestors also set fire to several vehicles on the highway, compelling us to charge batons, use water canons and fire rubber bullets and tear gas shells to maintain peace in the area," Officer-in-Charge of Ashulia police station Sirajul Islam said.
Several policemen were also injured in the series of chases and counter chases, he said.
Unions said over 100 workers were injured in the fresh skirmishes and blamed extreme police action for the troubles and demanded immediate measures to reopen the closed units, which make clothing for Western retail chains Wal-Mart, H & M, Tesco, Carrefour and Metro, as well as fashion labels Tommy Hilfiger, GAP and Levi Strauss and the like.
They have strongly protested the owners' decision to stop manufacturing for an indefinite period, saying it might make the workers more violent. The apparel makers should have held talks with the workers before taking such action, they said.
Buckling under pressure from the government, the apparel trade group, BGMEA, has decided to reopen all factories at Ashulia in Gazipur from today (Wednesday).
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said Tuesday it has requested all factory owners to reopen their apparel and textile units at Ashulia.
"We got assurance of security from the government. That encouraged us to put off production suspension," BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy told a briefing in the city.
He urged all factory owners to be present in the early hours at their factories and take measures to reopen their apparel units located in Ashulia-the hub of apparel and textile units.
The BGMEA chief called upon the government to prepare a list of labour leaders blamed for fomenting the labour trouble within the next three days and arrest those who are responsible.
Persons familiar with the situation said ruling party lawmakers and officials have mounted pressure on the BGMEA to reopen their factories and also held put the assurance of security.
Murad Jong MP told the BGMEA leaders: "I am taking the responsibility. You (owners of RMG units) will have to remain present in the early morning and factories will operate as usual."
The BGMEA's prompt decision came after the government issued a warning that it would not "tolerate" any chaos in the multi-billion-dollar-garment industry and would deal with restive situation with an iron hand.
"We'll not tolerate violation of law or any chaos in the garment or any other industry. We'll not hesitate to go for tough action," labour and employment minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters after nearly a two-hour meeting with BGMEA, FBCCI and workers leaders at his ministry Tuesday.
He said a move is underway to unveil an "acceptable" wage-scale for the workers before July 28.
The Minister said tough action would be taken against anyone who provokes the situation, regardless of even owners.
A tripartite wage board was formed on April 28 and the minister said the government is willing to spike the wages for the garment workers.
Also, the government entrusted three local lawmakers with the responsibility of bringing the deadly unrest under control in the industrial zones in Gazipur, Ashulia and Narayanganj zones.
AKM Mozammel Huq MP and Zahidul Hasan Russel MP will oversee the Gazipur zone, while Ashulia Zone will be by Murad Jong MP and Narayanganj Zone by Kabari Sarwar MP.
In addition, a control room, headed by a joint secretary at the Labour Ministry, will be set up at the Factory Inspection Office to monitor the situation.
Garment workers' violent agitation against low wages amid the owners' unilateral decision to close all units in Ashulia continued Tuesday, forcing the government to announce a deadline for a new pay scale.
Labour Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters they would fix minimum monthly basic wage for the country's 3.5 million workers by July 28 in a move to calm the apparel workers, who have been demonstrating over wage-hike at some industrial hubs for the last several months.
He also said the government would divide Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur into three regions and deploy local lawmakers to deal with dissatisfaction of the garment workers.
Mr Mosharraf disclosed it after a meeting with law enforcers and parliament members at the ministry.
Earlier in the day, the minister after a meeting with apparel makers and top business leaders said the government would not tolerate the violence despite its decision to increase the salaries of garment workers within the next three months.
"We'll show zero tolerance for any attempts to destabilise the country's RMG sector," Mosharraf said, adding that stern action would be taken against instigators even if they are from any owners' group.
The warning from the authorities comes as tens of thousands of garment workers - the lowest paid apparel workers in the world as has been told by an international trade union body - went on rampage for the fourth consecutive day protesting low wages.
The unilateral decision by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Monday night to close down all factories in Ashulia for an indefinite period has added fuel to the fire.
Police said the infuriated workers became unruly in the morning after they came to know the decision taken by the BGMEA during in an emergency meeting with Ashulia-based factory owners, forcing the law enforcers to tackle the situation strictly.
The workers vandalised glasses of dozens of factories and damaged a number of vehicles by blockading Dhaka-Tangail highway for hours.
"The protestors also set fire to several vehicles on the highway, compelling us to charge batons, use water canons and fire rubber bullets and tear gas shells to maintain peace in the area," Officer-in-Charge of Ashulia police station Sirajul Islam said.
Several policemen were also injured in the series of chases and counter chases, he said.
Unions said over 100 workers were injured in the fresh skirmishes and blamed extreme police action for the troubles and demanded immediate measures to reopen the closed units, which make clothing for Western retail chains Wal-Mart, H & M, Tesco, Carrefour and Metro, as well as fashion labels Tommy Hilfiger, GAP and Levi Strauss and the like.
They have strongly protested the owners' decision to stop manufacturing for an indefinite period, saying it might make the workers more violent. The apparel makers should have held talks with the workers before taking such action, they said.