Shawdesh Desk:

While the intensity of the ongoing labour movement has waned, the unrest, particularly in the readymade garment industry, persists, as workers from various factories staged demonstrations and blocked roads in Savar and Gazipur on Monday, demanding an increase in wages and attendance bonuses.

The industry owners’ body Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, meanwhile, has urged the government to provide interest-free loans to its 39 member companies, severely affected by the labour unrest, to enable them to clear the payment of the workers’ wages and allowances for September.

The labour unrest, ongoing since August 29, led on Monday to shut at least nine garment factories in Ashulia, Gazipur and Dhaka city, industry owners said.

Of these factories, seven units are located in Ashulia, one in Mirpur and one in Gazipur.

Workers from the Radial International Limited garment factory blocked the Chandra-Nabinagar road stretch in Gazipur on Monday afternoon, pressing for demands, including an increase in the attendance bonus.

The demonstration halted the traffic on both sides of the road, causing sufferings to the passengers and other road users.

The Industrial Police said the workers at the factory began their demonstrations early last week prompting the factory authorities to assure them that their demands would be met.

But as their pledges were not fulfilled, the workers began their protests again initially in front of the factory about 1:00pm, and at one point, they blocked the road.

They withdrew their blockade at around 5:00pm upon the request of law enforcement agencies.

On the other hand, workers at Akij Food and Beverage Limited protested in Dhamrai upazila pressing for nine-point demand, including a wage increase and weekend leave.

The workers began their protests in front of the factory and blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway for about half an hour, starting at 6:00am.

Their nine-point demand includes a monthly wage of Tk 15,000, a festival allowance equivalent to half a month’s wage, permanent employment based on performance, company dividends, night allowances, compensations from the company for any worker harmed on the premises, and weekly day off.

Ashulia Industrial Police superintendent Mohammad Sarowar Alam told New Age that the daily basis workers of Akij Foods staged demonstration in front of the factory.

He also said that seven readymade garment factories remained closed or suspended production on the day in Ashulia over workers’ protests as they either did not work or left the factories after joining in the morning.

Amid the unrest, BGMEA president Khandoker Rafiqul Islam on Sunday in a letter to finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said that 39 companies had been experiencing severe financial difficulties as labour unrest caused suspension of production in their factories for 20 days.

Despite production halted, a total of 56,351 workers in these 39 factories would have to be paid Tk 58.62 crore in wages and allowances for the month of September, the letter read.

‘Currently, the changing political landscape in the country, following the mass uprising of students, has prompted foreign competitors and some self-interested groups within the country to conspire against our largest export sector. This has led to ongoing worker dissatisfaction in the garment industry,’ the BGMEA president said in his letter.

He claimed that particularly in the Savar and Ashulia areas, vested interest groups had engaged in vandalism and looting, often with the support of local individuals.

As a result, many industrial establishments were forced to close for nearly 20 days, and several others continued to struggle to resume normal production operations, Rafiq said.

‘Ongoing export orders are at risk of cancellation due to labour unrest, as buyers are unable to receive their products within the specified lead times and many are now requesting discounts,’ he said.

The BGMEA president also said that it was important to note that even when production was halted, companies were obligated to cover all fixed costs, including wages for workers and employees.

‘In this situation we request interest-free loans on easy terms for the 39 companies affected by labour unrest in the garment industry, to ensure they can pay wages and allowances for September to the workers,’ he added.