Inspite of multi-faceted initiatives, labor unrest does not stop in Savar and Ashulia. In this situation, the authorities have been forced to announce a holiday in 79 factories in the area today on Monday.
Superintendent of Police of Shilpanchal Police-1 Mohammad Sarwar Alam told Samakal that although the workers arrived at the factory at the appointed time yesterday morning, they stopped working because their demands were not met. As a result, the factories were given leave. On Monday, 79 factories declared a holiday due to the spread of labor unrest in several areas.
Like other days, the workers refused to work at one point by joining several factories in the morning. They kept chanting different slogans inside the factory. Labor leaders say that those involved in the unjust movement are not workers. We need to find out who is agitating. Owners say that despite repeated assurances from the joint forces, they are disappointed as the situation has not improved enough.
The industrial area has been protesting for 10 days with the main demand that more men than women workers should be employed in garment factories. There are more women workers than men in garment factories. However, in the last few years, the rate of women workers has decreased a lot. Research organization Mapped in Bangladesh (MIB) statistics say that the rate of women workers in the garment sector has now dropped to 57 percent. Once this rate was around 80 percent.
When asked why the situation is not improving despite repeated assurances from the joint forces, BGMEA Director Mohiuddin Rubel told Samakal that there is a big lack of coordination. The local administration has nothing to say now. Earlier, in such situations, the police and industrial police were sometimes seen to take legal, sometimes strategic measures. Now it’s not there at all. The agitators are not listening to the labor leaders. Political antagonism has also developed. Due to these reasons, the situation has not improved as expected.
Among the labor leaders, Bangladesh Apparel Workers Federation President Touhidur Rahman told Samakal that in the last 15 and a half years of the Awami League government, there has been no movement on any issue other than the wage issue in the garment sector. Now the movement on issues other than wages proves that there is a different motive behind it. There are some problems in some factories. They can be resolved through discussion. According to him, in the last 15 and a half years, one side has benefited from the factory in various aspects including jhoot, cutpiece, stocklot. Now the new side is created. Workers are also being used in conflicts of interests of both parties. All this is going on in the name of labor movement. Meanwhile, many of the terrorists who left the garment factory area after the fall of the government have returned.
Ashulia Zone Manager HR Admin and Compliance of Alif Village Limited Group. Refai Siddique said, more than 15 hundred workers joined work in their three garment factories from Sunday morning. Later around 10 am, 200 to 300 people wearing masks suddenly attacked their three factories with sticks. At that time, the masked miscreants broke the main gate of the factories and entered and caused extensive vandalism. Factory glass, digital machine, computer, fire control panel, electricity sub-station, medical equipment, CCTV, air conditioner, garden etc. were vandalized. At that time, 20 people including the security personnel of the factory were beaten and seriously injured after preventing the vandalism and looted valuable clothes, laptops, motorcycles and machinery from the factory and fled. Hours of attacks, vandalism and looting spread panic among factory owners, workers and security personnel. The production of three factories has stopped due to the dismantling of the digital machines used for embroidery and printing in the factory. He said it would take six to eight months to bring the machines to start production at the factory.
It is estimated that about 40 crores of damage has been caused in the factory attack and vandalism. Army, police and RAB members visited the site after receiving information about such attacks in three factories. So far, the members of the law and order forces have not been able to arrest anyone suspected to be involved in this incident.
In this regard, Chairman and Managing Director of Alif Village Limited Group, Mohammad Aktar Hossain Rana, said that he has suffered huge losses.
30 factories off in Ashulia
At 8 am yesterday, the workers joined the work in some areas including Jirabo, Kathgara, Narsinghpur, Jashanpur in Ashulia. However, around 10 am, workers in several garment factories including Naptal, Continental, Yagi Bangladesh, New Age started a sudden strike. At one point the workers started protesting. After the tension in the factory increased, the factory authorities announced a holiday. After noon, Al Muslim Garment and Generation Next garment workers staged a protest. As the day progressed, the workers of other factories also went on strike. Finally a general holiday was declared for workers in 30 garment factories in Ashulia.
The workers said that BGMEA had ordered the factories to open. However, the owners are not talking about the demands of the workers. In another garment factory in Ashulia, the owner accepted the demand. So it is said that the workers have joined the work in those factories.
The police and the army are working for the safety of the workers in front of the factory. Apart from this, the workers of all garment factories of NASA group in Narsinghpur area of Nabinagar-Ashulia-DEPZ road have joined the work. Executive director of the group, Khandaker-ul-Haq, said that the workers have been protesting for quite some time. But we have solved the problem of workers. Workers have returned to work from today, production activities in factories are going on.
Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Workers Trade Union said, workers started production in the morning. However, the workers went on strike inside the factory after 9:30 am. Basically, the employer did not discuss the claim with the workers. So it happens. However, the problem will be solved if the owner meets with the worker about the claim.
Workers protest in Tongi today
Protests are still going on in Tongi regarding timely salary and 13-point demands. About 10,000 workers of two factories of Garments Export Village Limited are protesting in front of the factory.
The workers are holding a protest march in front of KBM Road behind Tongi East Police Station from 8 am today Monday. After getting the news, the army personnel came to the spot and tried to explain them.
The workers said that there are two factories in Garments Export Village Limited. One in mother tower and another in Alam tower. About 10 thousand workers work in these two factories. But we are not getting our due. We have made 13 demands. If not, I will not return to work.
The demands are – All employees must be paid by 7; Attendance bonus of 1000 taka should be given to all workers including all workers; Salary to be increased by 15 percent; 18 days leave to be paid together; The service bill must be paid within 15 days of leaving the job; Eid bonus should be given even if the job period is 6 months. They made 13 demands including these six demands.
The protesting worker Amena Begum said, we are still sitting in front of the factory with a strike today. Will not join the work until our 13-point demand is met.
Whenever our demands were presented, the factory authorities ill-treated the workers and sacked them. If you ask for a holiday, you don’t get it. In case of illness, proper medical care is not available.
Gazipur Industrial Police Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Mosharraf Hossain said that discussions are still going on with the factory authorities regarding the demands of the workers.
The help line of the Ministry of Labor is open
The Directorate of Inspection of Factories and Establishments (DIFE) of the Ministry of Labor has a round-the-clock helpline (16357) for reporting any labor related complaint. Complaints related to worker dissatisfaction are requested to be reported at toll-free service facilities. In view of the recent labor unrest in various parts of the country, this service was reminded in a circular yesterday in order to maintain stability and peace in the labor sector of the country.