Labour unrest in the readymade garment sector continued on Tuesday as production was halted in around 100 factories in Ashulia and Gazipur industrial areas.
After a few days of calm situation, labour protests started again in the readymade garment factories in Gazipur on Tuesday and authorities were forced to declare a holiday for 25 factories on the day.
On the other hand, production was halted in 74 readymade garment factories amid labor unrest in Ashulia area on Tuesday.
According to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, 42 factories announced a paid general holiday on Tuesday due to concerns about maintaining operations amid the unrest.
BGMEA director Mohiuddin Rubel said that the authorities of some other open factories failed to run their units due to non-cooperation from the workers.
He said that workers in those factories presented new demands, including the removal of certain managers from the production floor.
Ashulia Industrial Police Superintendent Mohammad Sarowar Alam told New Age that authorities of 40-42 factories announced a holiday for Tuesday, noting that the number had been higher on Monday.
He said that workers in some factories that remained open arrived in the morning but refused to start work and began to stage demonstrations inside the facilities to voice their demands.
Workers from different readymade garment factories in Gazipur on Tuesday staged demonstrations, blocked roads, and vandalised factories to demand increased wages and allowances, New Age correspondent in Gazipur reported.
To manage the situation, a one-day holiday was declared for 25 factories.
According to the industrial police, workers from Amtranet Group in Tongi began their protest at about 9:00am with their 13-point demand, and were soon joined by workers from Pinaki Group, Dress Man Limited, and Noman Group, resulting in thousands of participants in their demonstration.
Workers from SM Knitwear Limited in Gazipur started demonstration at about 8:30am, demanding an increase in attendance bonus, and by noon, workers from Asrotex Limited had begun throwing bricks at the factory’s main gate.
In response, the factory declared a holiday to restore order.
Following this, workers from SM Knitwear and Asrotex Limited moved to the gates of Apparels-21 Limited and Green Fiber Composite Limited, compelling the authorities of those factories to declare a holiday.
Meanwhile, workers at Meghna Group’s High Fashion factory in Gargaria began a strike in the morning with 14 demands and escalated their protest by blockading the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.
During the unrest, an attempt to evacuate workers from How R U Textile Limited led to an altercation, prompting enraged High Fashion workers to attack How R U Textiles.
The factory declared a holiday at noon, and the workers returned home subsequently.
Gazipur Industrial Police superintendent Mohammad Sarwar Alam said that workers from various factories renewed their protests with multiple demands, blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and prompting authorities to declare a holiday for 25 factories.
By afternoon, the situation became normal as factory management began negotiations with the workers, and the police as well as the army and the Border Guard Bangladesh continued their work to maintain law and order, he said.
Workers in these two industrial zones have been protesting for over a week, demanding increased attendance and tiffin allowances, full attendance allowance despite taking leave, recruitment of more male workers, a better male-to-female ratio, and changes in management in some units.
