On Monday, September 23, more clothing manufacturers in the Ashulia industrial belt were forced to close due to a fresh wave of agitation among employees of numerous units over various demands, including pay increases.
Workers in several Ashulia factories have now demanded Tk25,000 as the minimum pay, while workers in several Gazipur firms also protested and blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway on Sunday over increased attendance bonuses.
Since Monday morning, 52 of the 1,863 businesses in the region—the majority of which are engaged in the apparel industry—have remained closed. Sunday saw the closure of 19 factories, according to the industrial police.
According to Md. Sarwar Alam, superintendent of police at Ashulia Industrial Police-1, 43 factories have closed in accordance with the labour law’s “no work, no pay” clause.
As the disturbance continues, 39 factories out of the total closed units are members of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
Workers in the industrial zone have been conducting protests since the beginning of the month in an attempt to demand increases in pay, benefits, and other advantages.
The industrial police report that since the beginning of the week, the remaining factories’ production has smoothly resumed.
But once more, workers from several companies began to demonstrate, disrupting operations as they called for a minimum wage of Tk 25,000, among other demands. As a result, the factories’ officials declared them closed.
In a different instance, labourers from the Narsinghpur-based Generation Next plant blockaded the Abdullahpur-Bypail route this morning, demanding the reopening of their facility and two months’ worth of unpaid salaries. After uniting, the workers were able to be separated from the road. Security personnel from the joint forces have been sent in to make sure the situation is under control.
