Workers’ protests, which have been occasionally erupting since last week, caused 45 garment factories in Ashulia and Gazipur, one of the nation’s main industrial belts, to close in the middle of the day on Sunday.
The protests were about demands for various perks and allowances, like raising the length of maternity vacations from three months to six months, creating welcoming workplaces, and hiring an equal number of men and women.
“There was no untoward incident,” said BGMEA President Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, adding that the factory owners were not obligated to meet some of the demands, such as for attendance bonus and lunch allowance, as those did not fall under the labour law.
Of the factories, 44 were in Ashulia and one in Gazipur, confirmed the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
Six people were detained for questioning from Pukurpar area on suspicion of being “outsiders” and “creating anarchy”, said Mohammad Sarwar Alam, superintendent of Ashulia Industrial Police 1.
As per the BGMEA’s previous decision, most factories reopened yesterday but workers of the 45 factories started staging demonstrations both inside and outside, saying their negotiations with the authorities had not been “fruitful”.
According to industrial police, after 11:00 a.m., tensions increased, and the authorities decided to close.
Laily Akhter, an employee of an Ashulia clothing factory, stated that they were asking for their monthly attendance bonus to be increased from Tk 500 to Tk 1,000 and to be paid monthly rather than every two or three years or when their employment was ended.
She added that they were also asking for Tk 100 in attendance bonuses for night shifts and Tk 50 in meal allowance.
“But the factory authority declared a holiday in the afternoon,” she said, apprehending that the factory might be kept closed for 10 days and that they might not be paid for that period.
“We do not want the factory to be closed. We urge the authorities to accept our demands and keep the factory running,” said Laily.
However, operations at other factories were normal. Police quoted the workers as saying that they had joined their workplaces after factory owners accepted most of their demands.
