Shawdesh Desk::

At least 147 ready-made garment units remained closed on Saturday in Ashulia and Gazipur, on the outskirts of the capital, following labour unrest for wage hike.

Industrial police officials said that of the factories, 130 units in Ashulia and 17 units in Gazipur declared close under the labour law 13 (1) which means ‘No work no pay.’

Many workers went to the factory in Ashulia and backed home seeing the notice of factory shut down on Saturday morning.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association officials said that BGMEA yet to take any decision about reopening their units.

At least 32 cases were filed so far against over 20,000 workers over the vandalism and unruly activities during protests since October 23, said police.

Deputy inspector general of industrial police Zakir Hossain Khan said that 22 cases were filed with different police stations in Gazipur as 123 factories were vandalised during workers protest for wage hike, reports New Age Correspondent in Gazipur.

On October 22, factory owners proposed Tk 10,400 as minimum monthly wage for apparel workers to the minimum wage board, up from Tk 8,000 set in 2018.

Workers took to the streets demanding a minimum wage of Tk 23,000 to cope with the skyrocketing prices of the essentials and spiralling living expenses, trade union leaders said.

On November 7, against the backdrop, factory owners again proposed a minimum wage of Tk 12,500 for RMG workers, which the government readily accepted.

However, workers refused the wage and took the street to press their demands of Tk 23,000 as minimum wage.

Trade union leaders said that they would submit objection to the minimum wage board against the proposed wage demanding to increase it more on Sunday.

At least three workers were killed and scores others were injured in clashes with the police amid baton charge and firing of teargas shells and sound grenades to disperse the demonstrators.

Police said that at least 88 workers were arrested in the cases filed in Gazipur.

Superintendent of Ashulia police station Sarwar Alam said that at least 130 RMG units out of 1,792 remained shut over the wage hike movement.

He said that at least seven cases were filed with the police station in this connection and at least four people were arrested so far.

Pallabi police station inspector (investigation) Mesbah Uddin said that 1,600 people were accused of vandalism in three cases filed with the police station.

Six people were arrested in the cases so far, he added.

Bangladesh is the second largest garment exporters in the global market after China and the apparel sector is top export-oriented industry of the country which earns annually $47 billion, about 85 per cent of the total $55 billion exports in the past financial year.

There are about 4,000 factories across the country and about 40 lakh workers run these factories.