At least 30 garment factories in and around Kathgara in Ashulia have declared a holiday for today amid protests by workers demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, an end to blacklisting and other demands.The unrest began in the morning, Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of police of Ashulia Industrial Police-1, told The Daily Star over the phone around 1:45pm.The situation is not very good at the moment. Workers are stationed at different locations. We are continuing our efforts to persuade them. So far, around 30 garment factories have declared a holiday,” he said.The SP said a police member was receiving treatment at a hospital after being struck on the head by bricks allegedly thrown by protesting workers.According to police sources, workers of Naim Knitwear in the Kathgara area initially stopped work in the morning and later came out to protest. At one point, they allegedly threw bricks and stones at several nearby factories, leading to chases and counter-chases between workers and police.
An official of a garment factory in the Kathgara Amtala area, who wished to remain anonymous, said most factories in the area, including his, had declared a holiday for today, with only two or three remaining open.
“They are monitoring the situation and will make a decision based on how it develops,” he said.
RMG workers also blocked several roads in Dhaka’s Mirpur area this morning, demanding the same.
Khairul Mamun, legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Workers Trade Union Centre, told The Daily Star that workers had long been demanding a minimum wage of Tk 30,000, an end to blacklisting and a halt to arbitrary dismissals.The labour minister had announced that the wage board would be formed by October, but this did not happen, fuelling anger among workers, he said.
At a meeting convened at the Ministry of Labour last night, it was announced that the process of forming the minimum wage board would begin by Sunday (tomorrow), the official said.
However, workers are continuing their protests as the decision taken at the meeting, or the message about it, has not been properly conveyed to them, he added.
Meanwhile, industrial police recovered three crude-bomb-like objects from the road in front of a Nasa Group factory in the Nishchintapur area of Ashulia around noon today, amid protests by garment workers demanding higher wages.
Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of police of Ashulia Industrial Police-1, confirmed the matter to The Daily Star, saying it had been reported to the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) of Bangladesh Police, whose members would visit the scene and take further steps.
