Authorities on Tuesday suspended production in 150 readymade garment (RMG) factories in Ashulia as workers clashed with police demanding implementation of the new salary structure fixed by the government-formed wage board, reports UNB.
Witnesses said garment workers from Narsinghpur, Gazirchat, Baipail, Nishchintapur and Shimultala areas under Ashulia police station took to the streets in the morning and staged demonstrations.
They put barricades on different roads, including the Abdullahpur-Baipail one, disrupting traffic.
The agitating workers threw brick at law enforcers as police obstructed them, triggering a clash that left 50 people injured.
Police brought the situation under control by firing teargas shells and rubber bullets.
Later, authorities closed 100 factories for the day, said Mostafizur Rahman, director of Industrial Police, Ashulia.
Additional police were deployed in the areas to fend off further trouble, he added.
Besides, production in some 50 garment factories at Zirani and Kobirpur was suspended for today [Tuesday] because of workers’ unrest, said Mostafizur Rahman.
On November 4, the minimum wage board set Tk5,300 for entry-level workers, a 76.6% rise over the existing consolidated wage of Tk3,000. This was decided through voting after both the owners and labour leaders had failed to reach a consensus.