Garment unrest spreads despite govt assurances for wage-hike
Friday, 30 April 2010
Jubair Hasan
Violent unrest for wage-hike has spread to more garment factories Thursday amid warnings from unions that they won't accept minimum monthly salary below 5000 taka.
Labour minister Mosharraf Hossain Wednesday pledged that the authorities would raise wages for the country's three million workers before Ramadan in a move to quell nationwide protests over pay-hikes.
But his assurance in the most explicit term failed to assure the workers who rampaged through nearly a dozen factories in the capital's Mirpur, halting production in the busy summer season.
Nearly 6,000 workers ransacked Polka Dots Fashion, Tunic Fashion, SRT Fashion, Natural Wool Wear and Jokky Garments in the area forcing the owners to close down the factories, police said.
"They blocked the busy Rokeya Sarani (road) for almost three hours and vandalised their factories to press demand for immediate pay-hike," said Kafrul thana police chief Delwar Hossain.
"They also damaged several cars and chased policemen guarding the factories. We were forced to use batons to disperse the protestors," he said. Witnesses said at least 10 workers were injured in police beatings.
The protests petered out after assurances by local member of the parliament that wages would be hiked "very soon". Owners said they would keep the factories shut in the next few days for fear of further vandalism.
Thursday's protests follow violent unrest at Kanchpur industrial area throughout this week. Some 35,000 workers of the country's largest garment manufacturer, Opex-Sinha group blocked Dhaka-Chittagong highway and Dhaka-Sylhet highway to demand increased salaries.
According to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), nearly 100 factories were shut down due to the violence by the workers in the past four days.
"We think some vested quarters are instigating the workers behind the scene. These people want to destroy our biggest export earning sector," general manager of Opex-Sinha Group Harun-ur-Rashid said.
Opex-Sinha group, which exported around 300 million dollars worth of apparels last year, employs more than 50,000 workers and has been known as good pay-master among the manufacturers.
"The government should find out the culprits behind the unrest and ensure security at the factories. Otherwise, the garment sector will witness a serious downturn," he added.
Labour minister told reporters Wednesday that the government had constituted a wage board for the sector with representatives from the manufacturers, unions and experts to suggest a new pay scale for the workers.
The minister said basic minimum salary would be hiked "substantially" from its present rate of 1662.50 taka - possibly the lowest in the world. The amount was fixed in October 2006.
But unions said they are still in the dark whether the board has actually commenced its job and whether it has included any well known labour leader to look after workers interest.
"We welcomed the labour minister's announcement. At last the government has shown its sincerity in dealing with the workers' legitimate rights," Mosherefa Mishu, president of Garment Workers Unity Forum told FE.
But she reminded the authorities that the workers would stick to their demand of fixing minimum wages at 5000 taka. "We won't accept anything below that amount," she said.
Mishu said the unions who are fighting for workers rights don't know who has been included in the wage board. "We want real union leader to represent the workers in the board, not a dummy who cheaply sells our interest."
Most of the unions who represent the country's millions of workers had rejected the 2006 wages fixed by a government appointed board in which a controversial union leader represented labourers.
"We don't want to see any lackeys of the owners representing us in the wage board. It will be suicidal," Advocate Delwar Hossain Khan, president of Bangladesh Jonoswadhin Garment Workers' Federation, told the FE.
The government should also show its sincerity by naming "honest and dedicated union leaders in the board and also take their suggestions in framing new pay-scale", he said, adding the move would stem the ongoing protests.
Violent unrest for wage-hike has spread to more garment factories Thursday amid warnings from unions that they won't accept minimum monthly salary below 5000 taka.
Labour minister Mosharraf Hossain Wednesday pledged that the authorities would raise wages for the country's three million workers before Ramadan in a move to quell nationwide protests over pay-hikes.
But his assurance in the most explicit term failed to assure the workers who rampaged through nearly a dozen factories in the capital's Mirpur, halting production in the busy summer season.
Nearly 6,000 workers ransacked Polka Dots Fashion, Tunic Fashion, SRT Fashion, Natural Wool Wear and Jokky Garments in the area forcing the owners to close down the factories, police said.
"They blocked the busy Rokeya Sarani (road) for almost three hours and vandalised their factories to press demand for immediate pay-hike," said Kafrul thana police chief Delwar Hossain.
"They also damaged several cars and chased policemen guarding the factories. We were forced to use batons to disperse the protestors," he said. Witnesses said at least 10 workers were injured in police beatings.
The protests petered out after assurances by local member of the parliament that wages would be hiked "very soon". Owners said they would keep the factories shut in the next few days for fear of further vandalism.
Thursday's protests follow violent unrest at Kanchpur industrial area throughout this week. Some 35,000 workers of the country's largest garment manufacturer, Opex-Sinha group blocked Dhaka-Chittagong highway and Dhaka-Sylhet highway to demand increased salaries.
According to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), nearly 100 factories were shut down due to the violence by the workers in the past four days.
"We think some vested quarters are instigating the workers behind the scene. These people want to destroy our biggest export earning sector," general manager of Opex-Sinha Group Harun-ur-Rashid said.
Opex-Sinha group, which exported around 300 million dollars worth of apparels last year, employs more than 50,000 workers and has been known as good pay-master among the manufacturers.
"The government should find out the culprits behind the unrest and ensure security at the factories. Otherwise, the garment sector will witness a serious downturn," he added.
Labour minister told reporters Wednesday that the government had constituted a wage board for the sector with representatives from the manufacturers, unions and experts to suggest a new pay scale for the workers.
The minister said basic minimum salary would be hiked "substantially" from its present rate of 1662.50 taka - possibly the lowest in the world. The amount was fixed in October 2006.
But unions said they are still in the dark whether the board has actually commenced its job and whether it has included any well known labour leader to look after workers interest.
"We welcomed the labour minister's announcement. At last the government has shown its sincerity in dealing with the workers' legitimate rights," Mosherefa Mishu, president of Garment Workers Unity Forum told FE.
But she reminded the authorities that the workers would stick to their demand of fixing minimum wages at 5000 taka. "We won't accept anything below that amount," she said.
Mishu said the unions who are fighting for workers rights don't know who has been included in the wage board. "We want real union leader to represent the workers in the board, not a dummy who cheaply sells our interest."
Most of the unions who represent the country's millions of workers had rejected the 2006 wages fixed by a government appointed board in which a controversial union leader represented labourers.
"We don't want to see any lackeys of the owners representing us in the wage board. It will be suicidal," Advocate Delwar Hossain Khan, president of Bangladesh Jonoswadhin Garment Workers' Federation, told the FE.
The government should also show its sincerity by naming "honest and dedicated union leaders in the board and also take their suggestions in framing new pay-scale", he said, adding the move would stem the ongoing protests.