At least 55 ready-made garments factories in Savar’s Ashulia area were shut down in accordance with 13 (1) provision of Bangladesh Labour Law, 2006; BGMEA President Md Siddiqur Rahman announced on Tuesday on behalf of the owners.
According to the provision, 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.
During such closure the workers participated in the strike shall not be paid any wages, the provision further reads.
Siddiqur, at a press conference in Dhaka’s BGMEA building, said the workers of the factories have been demonstrating for the last few days demanding wage hikes and other benefits.
RMG workers walk out of the factories to protest for their rights Nadim Hossain/Dhaka TribuneFormer BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy, Md Atiqul Islam, FBCCI senior vice-president Shafiul Islam Mohiuddion, former FBCCI president AK Azad, BGMEA senior vice president Faruqe Hassan, BGMEA vice president Mahmud Hsan Khan Babu and Mohammed Nair were present at the press conference.
Since December 12, several hundred of RMG workers staged walk-out demanding revision of minimum wage.
The garments workers have been demanding implementation of democratic labour laws in factories, banning clauses 3(A) of 27, 13(A) of the Labour Act, ensure factory safety, ensure workers’ safety, increase bonus, increase transport allowance, increase daily lunch allowance, stop lay-offs and ensure residential and transport opportunity for workers.
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Forty more factories were closed down in the same area this earlier week due to the ongoing demonstration. In November 2013, the government set Tk5,300 as minimum wage with a basic of Tk3,000 for entry-level garment workers. As soon as the news of closure of factories broke, RMG workers blocked the Abdullahpur-Baipail Road in Jatmola. Their demonstration was broken up by industrial police who charged batons and fired rubber bullets into the crowd.
Industrial police dispersing the RMG workers protesting on the streets of Ashulia Nadim Hossain/Dhaka TribuneGarment workers alleged that police attacked them, although they were staging demonstrations peacefully.
On Monday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan warned that the government would mark people who are conspiring to undermine the garments sector.