State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Huq Tuku yesterday assured the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association of deploying law enforcement agencies to avert untoward incidents in the RMG factories. The assurance came after a BGMEA team led by its acting President SM Mannan Kochi met Shamsul Huq Tuku and Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan Monday night to discuss the issue of sudden unrest and find ways to tackle the present hazardous situation. “We have urged the Home Ministry to deploy lawmen to avert any untoward incident in the factories, and the ministry assured us that it would take necessary steps,” said Riaz Bin Mahmood, director of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). The association sought security and cooperation of the government to restore a good working environment to the garment factories which became turbulent following the agitation of the workers demanding a hike in their minimum wages. “We want security for our work. We do not want to stop production at the factories, but for that, we need cooperation of the workers’ unions,” said BGMEA acting President SM Mannan Kochi.
“All the factories will reopen from today since if they remain closed, we won’t be able to pay salary and bonus to the garment workers ahead of the Eid ul-Azha,” he said.
Mannan came up with these comments after attending a tripartite meeting attended by representatives from factory owners, the workers and the government.
The appeal for cooperation came at a time when workers’ unions are threatening to continue demonstration for their wage hike.
“As members of Garment Sramik Samannay Parishad, we demanded Tk8000 as minimum wage for the garment workers. Further demonstrations in support of our demand may be forthcoming, although those wouldn’t be violent,” said Montu Ghose, a rights activist involved with the agitation. However, the BGMEA asked the agitating workers to join work. “On behalf of the government, factory owners and workers, I am asking all workers to calm down and join work. Those who will not join work will be considered conspirators," Mannan said.
After the tripartite meeting, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan met with the journalists and stressed the importance of stability in the garment factories.
“People who are creating anarchy and vandalising factories will be identified. We know for a fact that outsiders instigated workers to deteriorate the situation,” he said, adding that neither the government nor the factory owners were responsible for the recent unrest.
A vested group is “conspiring” to create disturbance in the RMG sector which was evident from the fact that some religious leaders in mosques spoke in support of the grand rally of the workers, he said.
“Wage hike is a logical demand and the government has formed a wage board to recommend a wage structure and they would do that. The final pay structure would be set through negotiation.”
At the meeting, Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar, BGMEA Vice-President Shahidullah Azim, and union leaders were, among others, present.