Around 50 readymade garment (RMG) factories in Ashulia and Gazipur industrial zones remained shut on Saturday following protests by the workers.
During the protests, the workers staged angry demonstrations blocking different roads in Ashulia and Dhaka-Mymensignh Highways in Gazipur.
In Ashulia, workers from multiple garment factories blocked roads and staged protests demanding the reopening of closed factories, withdrawal of cases filed against workers, and an increase in the minimum wage to Tk22,000.
The protest took place in the on the Bypile-Abdullahpur Road in Zirabo, where workers blocked the roads to voice their demands.
This was yet another alarming development in the sector racked by protests in the past two weeks.
At one stage of the protest, workers approached nearby factories and threw bricks and stones forcing the management of at least 8 to 10 factories in the area to announce
temporary closure.A worker from Beq Knit Limited, part of the Lusaka Group, said, "On September 9, the factory owners filed a case against 27 workers and several unnamed individuals at the Ashulia police station. Later, the workers protested demanding withdrawal of the case. The factory reopened last Thursday, and the management promised to hand us the case withdrawal documents. However, they did not provide those.”
"When we came to the factory in the morning, we found it closed under section 13(1) of the labour law," he added.
The section 13 (1) of the labour law entails that an employer may, in the event of an illegal strike in any section or department of any establishment, close down either wholly or partly such section or establishment.
Then workers from nearby factories gathered and took to the streets, demanding the reopening of the closed factories and the withdrawal of the cases filed against them.
An official from the Industrial Police said, "After the Lusaka Group workers started their protest, workers from Mondol Knitwear Limited also came out onto the streets in the Zirabo area and began their demonstration, demanding a minimum wage increase to Tk22,000. Several other factory workers have joined them, and as of 11am, they are still protesting on the road."
A protesting worker from Mondol Knitwear Limited said, "Our workers have been protesting for several days with different demands, including an increase in their wages. When we came to the factory in the morning, we saw that the management already closed it under section 13(1) of the labor law.”
Superintendent of Ashulia Industrial Police-1 Md Sarwar Alam said, "Most of the factories in the industrial zone were in operation from the morning peacefully. But, after the Lusaka Group workers started protesting, authorities of eight to 10 nearby factories were forced to announce closures.:
Mondol Group workers are also protesting on the streets, demanding a minimum wage of Tk 22,000, he added.
"We are trying to calm the workers and bring the situation under control. Additional law enforcement personnel have been deployed at various points in the industrial zone to ensure security," he added.
The police officer also mentioned, "As of this morning's information, a total of 16 factories in the industrial zone have suspended production. Of these, 10 have been closed under section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labor Law (no work, no pay), while 6 factories have declared a general holiday."
The industrial police further noted, "Since some factories have declared general holidays due to the workers' protests, the number of closed factories could increase by the end of the day."
Meanwhile, according to industrial sources, by 12pm production activities had been halted in a total of 49 factories in the Ashulia industrial area on Saturday.
Among them, 12 factories were closed under section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labor Law, while 37 factories were either open but not operating or had declared holidays.
The factories closed under section 13(1) include Lusaka Group's Beq Knitwear Limited, Beq Sweater Limited, Mondol Knitwear Limited, Envoy Group's Envoy Fashion Limited, Envoy Design Limited, Anjuman Design Limited, and The Rose Dresses Limited.
Additionally, 37 factories, where workers either left, work was suspended, or holidays were declared with pay, include MangoTex Limited, Glorious Sun Fashion, Southern Garments Limited, Textown Limited, Generation Next, Skyline Garments Limited, Skyline Apparels Limited, New Age Apparels, New Age Garments, Sidko Limited, among others.
There are 1,863 factories under the jurisdiction of Ashulia Industrial Police-1, the majority of which are garment factories.
RMG workers stage demo blocking Dhaka-M'sing highway
In Gazipur, workers of different RMG factories staged demonstrations blocking Dhaka-Mymensingh highway demanding the resignation of an official of a garment factory in Konabari of Gazipur.
The workers of Silikon Swing Ltd at Membar Bari under Joydebpur Police Station took to the highway demanding the resignation of an HR official named Lovely of the company in charge of arbitrariness, halting vehicular movement.
Meanwhile, the workers of Jamuna Denims Ltd at Konabari blocked the Konabaro-Kashimpur road to press home their 19-point demand including an increase in their salary in the morning.
The other demands include providing their annual increment, which was cancelled earlier, with the salary of the current month, adjustment of their salary according to the gazette published by the government, payment of their dues with salary, promotion and grade according to the rules and payment of salary and other benefit under the BGMEA law if anyone sent on forced retirement.
Jahangir Alam, assistant superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police-2 of Konabari Zone, said the vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway remained suspended, creating traffic jams.
