RMG unrest rocks capital over workers' wage demand
Monday, 13 December 2010
FE Report
Tens of thousands of garment workers Sunday clashed with law enforcers, damaged factories, torched vehicles and blockaded highways over the demand of increased wages as the country's key apparel industrial belts were jolted in greater Dhaka. The mayhem injured nearly 100 people.
Owners termed the violence illogical and unexpected, saying that about 95 per cent of them have implemented the new wages, which, however, were strongly rejected by union leaders.
Hundreds of riot police personnel guarding the factories at Dhaka, Savar, Rupganj and Ashulia fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells and charged the demonstrators with baton to shove them away from the highways a day after the Korean Youngone company shut down all of its 17 units following wildcat protests.
At least 100 people, including dozens of policemen, were injured in the violence as both the groups got locked in a series of chase and counter chase turning the apparel hubs into a veritable battlefield, forcing owners of several factories to suspend production.
The trouble arose in Dhaka in the morning when nearly 8,000 workers of two factories of Nassa Group staged demonstration by halting vehicular movements on Airport Road in Kuril Rail Gate area, forcing the law enforcers to charge baton and lob tear gas shells to clear the road for traffic movement.
The police action infuriated the workers, who damaged dozens of passing vehicles and set fire to one taxicab and a microbus before launching a counter-attack that injured at least 24 policemen.
Demonstrators alleged police swooped on their peaceful protest leaving more than 50 workers wounded, setting off skirmishes that disrupted communication on the major road for more than two hours, resulting in immense sufferings to the office-goers.
Officer-in-Charge of Khilkhet Police Station Shamim Hossain said traffic movement resumed at 10:30am as the factory authorities agreed to meet their demand of implementing the new wage structure.
"Our injured officers were taken to different city hospitals for better treatment. Conditions of some of them are very critical," he added.
The much-talked-about wage issue sparked violent protest in Rupganj apparel industrial area as thousands of workers of Robin Text BD Limited at Bhulta Gauchhi blockaded the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway following a sudden closure notification.
Witnesses said police lobbed teargas shells to disperse the agitators who went on the rampage damaging several vehicles as the factory management fixed a meeting on Sunday over the wage issue.
"But the owners hung up a closure notice in front of the factory gate instead of holding the discussion, that flared up the violence," a protesting worker said, alleging that the policemen attacked them when they were observing a peaceful demonstration against the shutdown.
Officer-in-Charge of Rupganj Police Station Furkan Shikder rejected the allegation, saying that they did it only to maintain order in the area as the demonstrators became unruly. "We've also arrested five workers for their violent role," he added.
The protestors also attacked a German joint-venture garment factory at the area, police sources said.
Workers' unrest were reported at Hopeloan BD Limited and Alfa Packaging Industry Limited in the older zone of Ashulia EPZ, Meddler Apparels Limited at Narasinghapur and Starlink Creation at Jamgara, while several factories in Savar have also been facing unrest for the last few days.
Owners expressed concern at the violence and sought fair investigation over the latest trouble as they claimed almost all of them have paid salary and other financial benefits in line with the new wage structure.
President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Abdus Salam Murshedy termed the ongoing unrest 'illogical' and 'unwarranted', claiming that around 95 per cent of their members have paid workers under the new pay scale till Saturday.
"I hope cent per cent implementation will be ensured by Monday," he said, adding that workers of Nassa Group who led the violence at Kuril were paid Thursday in line with the new salary hike. "Despite implementing the government-announced wages, we're facing these disruptive events, which is a very unfortunate thing," the BGMEA president said.
"If anyone can prove, we'll take stern action against the defaulting owners for not implementing the wages," Mr Murshedy said.
President of Garments Workers Unity Forum Mushrefa Mishu said the recent unrest in the garment sector proved that most of the owners are yet to implement it, forcing workers into protest. "The owners' claim over implementation of the new wages is unfair, baseless and fabricated," she said.
The top union leader warned owners of dire consequences if they fail to execute the pay scale immediately.
In the face of workers' protest, the labour minister urged the apparel workers to remain calm as the discrimination in the wage structure declared this year would be removed after scrutiny.
Labour minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said it to reporters at the secretariat, requesting the protesting workers to place their suggestions over the wages to the government.
Meanwhile, commerce minister Faruk Khan at a programme urged the readymade garments workers to resolve their problems through discussion with the authorities concerned instead of vandalising factories and staging demonstration.
"I hope the workers and their leaders won't go crazy taking part in vandalism in support of their demands. If you have any demand, it could be resolved through discussion," he said in response to a query.
Bangladesh garment industry accounted for 80 per cent of the country's 15.56 billion exports last year. It makes clothing for the world's top retailers like Wal-Mart, H & M, Tesco, Carrefour, Metro, Gap and JC Penney through its 4,700 plus factories.
Tens of thousands of garment workers Sunday clashed with law enforcers, damaged factories, torched vehicles and blockaded highways over the demand of increased wages as the country's key apparel industrial belts were jolted in greater Dhaka. The mayhem injured nearly 100 people.
Owners termed the violence illogical and unexpected, saying that about 95 per cent of them have implemented the new wages, which, however, were strongly rejected by union leaders.
Hundreds of riot police personnel guarding the factories at Dhaka, Savar, Rupganj and Ashulia fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells and charged the demonstrators with baton to shove them away from the highways a day after the Korean Youngone company shut down all of its 17 units following wildcat protests.
At least 100 people, including dozens of policemen, were injured in the violence as both the groups got locked in a series of chase and counter chase turning the apparel hubs into a veritable battlefield, forcing owners of several factories to suspend production.
The trouble arose in Dhaka in the morning when nearly 8,000 workers of two factories of Nassa Group staged demonstration by halting vehicular movements on Airport Road in Kuril Rail Gate area, forcing the law enforcers to charge baton and lob tear gas shells to clear the road for traffic movement.
The police action infuriated the workers, who damaged dozens of passing vehicles and set fire to one taxicab and a microbus before launching a counter-attack that injured at least 24 policemen.
Demonstrators alleged police swooped on their peaceful protest leaving more than 50 workers wounded, setting off skirmishes that disrupted communication on the major road for more than two hours, resulting in immense sufferings to the office-goers.
Officer-in-Charge of Khilkhet Police Station Shamim Hossain said traffic movement resumed at 10:30am as the factory authorities agreed to meet their demand of implementing the new wage structure.
"Our injured officers were taken to different city hospitals for better treatment. Conditions of some of them are very critical," he added.
The much-talked-about wage issue sparked violent protest in Rupganj apparel industrial area as thousands of workers of Robin Text BD Limited at Bhulta Gauchhi blockaded the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway following a sudden closure notification.
Witnesses said police lobbed teargas shells to disperse the agitators who went on the rampage damaging several vehicles as the factory management fixed a meeting on Sunday over the wage issue.
"But the owners hung up a closure notice in front of the factory gate instead of holding the discussion, that flared up the violence," a protesting worker said, alleging that the policemen attacked them when they were observing a peaceful demonstration against the shutdown.
Officer-in-Charge of Rupganj Police Station Furkan Shikder rejected the allegation, saying that they did it only to maintain order in the area as the demonstrators became unruly. "We've also arrested five workers for their violent role," he added.
The protestors also attacked a German joint-venture garment factory at the area, police sources said.
Workers' unrest were reported at Hopeloan BD Limited and Alfa Packaging Industry Limited in the older zone of Ashulia EPZ, Meddler Apparels Limited at Narasinghapur and Starlink Creation at Jamgara, while several factories in Savar have also been facing unrest for the last few days.
Owners expressed concern at the violence and sought fair investigation over the latest trouble as they claimed almost all of them have paid salary and other financial benefits in line with the new wage structure.
President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Abdus Salam Murshedy termed the ongoing unrest 'illogical' and 'unwarranted', claiming that around 95 per cent of their members have paid workers under the new pay scale till Saturday.
"I hope cent per cent implementation will be ensured by Monday," he said, adding that workers of Nassa Group who led the violence at Kuril were paid Thursday in line with the new salary hike. "Despite implementing the government-announced wages, we're facing these disruptive events, which is a very unfortunate thing," the BGMEA president said.
"If anyone can prove, we'll take stern action against the defaulting owners for not implementing the wages," Mr Murshedy said.
President of Garments Workers Unity Forum Mushrefa Mishu said the recent unrest in the garment sector proved that most of the owners are yet to implement it, forcing workers into protest. "The owners' claim over implementation of the new wages is unfair, baseless and fabricated," she said.
The top union leader warned owners of dire consequences if they fail to execute the pay scale immediately.
In the face of workers' protest, the labour minister urged the apparel workers to remain calm as the discrimination in the wage structure declared this year would be removed after scrutiny.
Labour minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said it to reporters at the secretariat, requesting the protesting workers to place their suggestions over the wages to the government.
Meanwhile, commerce minister Faruk Khan at a programme urged the readymade garments workers to resolve their problems through discussion with the authorities concerned instead of vandalising factories and staging demonstration.
"I hope the workers and their leaders won't go crazy taking part in vandalism in support of their demands. If you have any demand, it could be resolved through discussion," he said in response to a query.
Bangladesh garment industry accounted for 80 per cent of the country's 15.56 billion exports last year. It makes clothing for the world's top retailers like Wal-Mart, H & M, Tesco, Carrefour, Metro, Gap and JC Penney through its 4,700 plus factories.