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DHAKA: Undeterred by the Dhaka police chief's warning of a crackdown on them, thousands of garment workers Saturday took to the streets in Savar north of Dhaka city and eastern Narayanganj district town again and clashed with riot police leaving 150 workers and cops injured.
Over 150 readymade garment (RMG) workers, including 20 policemen, were injured when the workers clashed with police during their demonstration on EPZ-Abdullahpur Road in Savar on Saturday protesting the new pay scale announced by the government.
The workers also vandalised several roadside business establishments in the area and two police vehicles. They at one stage pelted stones at the police and a chase and counter-chase took place between them.
Of the injured officer-in-charge Ashulia police station Kazi Sirajul Islam was admitted to Savar Enam Medical College Hospital while Superintendent of Police Iqbal Bahar was given first aid.
At first, the workers of Shed Session garments factory ransacked its valuables and took to the streets. Later, thousands of workers from 20 garment factories of Jamgara area including Envoy Garments and Starlink gathered in the area at about 11 am and blocked the road creating a huge traffic jam.
The agitating workers demanded 5,000 taka as minimum wage and its implementation by August 1. Traffic movement in the area remained disrupted due to the demonstration of the workers since morning demanding cancellation of the new wage structure announced on Thursday. Additional police have been deployed in the area to tackle the situation.
Police closed the EPZ-Abdullahpur road as the workers took position at several points of the road. Vehicular movements on Dhaka-Narayanganj link road remained suspended since Saturday morning as several hundred readymade garment workers put barricade on the road, rejecting the new wage structure.
The disgruntled workers also vandalised at least eight vehicles during their blockade programme, Fatullah police chief Jibon Kanti Sarkar said.
The production at three apparel factories remained suspended following the labour unrest. Hundreds of vehicles were seen stranded on both sides of the road following the workers agitation.
Witnesses and police said at first nearly hundred of workers staged demonstration near Shibu Market area at about 10am to press for their demand.
Later, hundreds of workers from Metro Garment Factory, Palmal Garment Factory and Micro Fiber Garment Factory jointed them and blocked the road, police and witnesses added. Police rushed to the scene and was trying to bring the situation under control.
On Friday, one day after the government announced the new wage structure for the garment workers, several thousand garment workers rampaged through different parts of the capital and Gazipur rejecting the new wage structure and demanding 5,000 taka minimum wage from August.
The workers also damaged around 200 business establishments including several garment factories and seven vehicles at Mohakhali, Tejgaon industrial area, Banani Chairmanbari and Gulshan Avenue in Dhaka city. On Tuesday, the government said it raised the minimum monthly wage for garment workers from 1,662 taka - the lowest industry salary worldwide - to 3,000 taka ($43). Some unions had demanded 5,000 taka.
The government offer followed months of protests in key industrial zones that forced factory closures, delaying the delivery of major orders for Western firms.
On June 22, hundreds of thousands of workers closed the key Ashulia export area, which supplies retailers such as Wal-Mart, H&M and Marks & Spencer, a major blow for an industry aiming to steal contracts from Chinese competitors. "The workers' emotion is running very high," said Mosherafa Mishu, head of the Garment Workers Unity Forum.
"The government has just done what the garment factory owners want - this offer is not acceptable," Mishu said. She denied that workers had been involved in any attacks on factories and said at least 50 protesters had been injured and more than 100 detained by police. "They are frustrated, they feel let down by the government - they thought they would get a good salary and then are just offered nothing," she added.
Last week, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told parliament that workers' salaries were 'inhuman' and said manufacturers should share profits with the industry's 3.5 million workforce, most of them women. Owners of garment factories blame Bangladesh's competitors abroad for fuelling unrest among workers in order to cripple the country's otherwise booming industry. -APP
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