Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - Owners have decided to keep shut all ready garment factories at Ashulia industrial hub for Wednesday for security reasons after escalating protests by workers demanding higher wages.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the owners of apparel factories held at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) headquarters in Dhaka on Tuesday.
“We’ve decided to shut our all factories in Ashulia area for a day on security ground,” Abdus Salam Murshedy, convenor of the Ashulia-Savar Garment Owners Association, told BBN after the meeting. He also former president of the BGMEA said the members of the zonal committee on Ashulia-Savar areas will sit on Wednesday for taking their next course of action.
There are some 250 garment units in Ashulia, the major outsourcing area for the world’s renowned apparel brands. Locally big manufacturers also have their units in the region.
Meanwhile, production at more than 150 garment factories in Ashulia was suspended for Tuesday after the workers clashed with police in the morning.
At least 50 workers were injured during sporadic clashes which took place at Jamgara, Jirani, Kabirpur, Baipail, Palash Bari, Narashinghapur, Nishchintapur, Ghoshbagh, Pukurpar and Kathgara areas, witnesses said.
The country’s apparel sector has been witnessing labour unrest for the last several months as the workers were demanding a revision of their minimum wage.
A minimum wage of BDT 5,300 was recommended by the government’s six-member wage board on November 4.
But factory owners rejected the wage, saying the amount should be BDT 4,250, while workers have been demanding BDT 8,114 ($104.36).
The monthly minimum wage for the garments workers is now BDT 3,000, the lowest in the world, and was last revised in 2010.
BBN/SSR/AD-13Nov13-12:17 am (BST)