Thousands of workers of four separate readymade garment (RMG) factories at Konabari in Gazipur staged demonstrations on Tuesday morning, hours after workers of TNZ Apparels Limited Group lifted their three-day long blockade on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway on Monday night.
Now the traffic movement on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway returned to the normalcy after the workers lifted the blockade when the TNZ Apparels Limited Group assured them of clear the outstanding salaries of the workers by the end of November.
Workers of five factories under TNZ Apparels Limited Group had staged demonstrations blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway for consecutive three days since last Saturday (November 9).Police and locals said, the workers of MM Knitwear Ltd and Mamun Knitwear Ltd went on work stoppage around 9:00am, to press home their different demands, including payment of overdue wages and reinstatement of terminated employees.
Even after factory authorities declared a general holiday, the workers continued their protest by staging a sit-in within the factory premises.
The latest spell of demonstration follows an earlier protest that took place on 3 November, during which workers of both factories stopped working to demand improved conditions. While authorities agreed to several of their demands, workers raised additional demands that were not immediately accepted.
Citing safety concerns, the factories subsequently shut down operations indefinitely on 4 November, in accordance with the Labor Act 2006.
Once the situation stabilised, both factories reopened on November 9. However, in response to the disruptions, MM Knitwear Ltd terminated 68 workers while Mamun Knitwear Ltd dismissed 45, citing disciplinary issues.
This led to further unrest, with workers refusing to resume normal operations today unless their sacked colleagues were reinstated.
One of the protesting workers, requesting anonymity, said, "The owners previously assured us that no workers would be terminated. Yet, so many were laid off. We are protesting against this decision by stopping work."
MM Knitwear Ltd's administrative officer Md Monowar Hossain reported that terminated workers had been paid their dues in line with the labour law.
"Even after that, some workers refused to return to work and are staging a sit-in within the factory," he said, adding that "shutting down the factory may be the only option if the situation does not improve."
Confirming the development, Gazipur Industrial Police-2 Superintendent Md Sarwar Alam said the authorities are engaged in discussions with the workers, attempting to resolve the issue and encourage them to return to work.
Meanwhile, in Gazipur's Jarun area, employees at Swadhin Garments have been protesting for three consecutive days over one month's unpaid wages, gathering outside the factory's main entrance.
In Konabari's Baimail area, Quasem Lamps Ltd workers started abstaining from work and are also staging protests pushing a 10-point charter of demands, including attendance bonuses, tiffin allowances, and night shift pay.
Police official Sarwar also said that due to various reasons, a total of 14 factories in Gazipur remained closed on Tuesday.
