The strike called by the readymade garment workers turned violent after they clashed with police in several industrial areas on Monday, leaving two dead and many others injured despite the government, workers’ leaders and owners’ move to normalise the situation.
On the eighth day of the ongoing strike called to press home their demand for the salary hike, the clash took place between the RMG workers and police in Gazipur, Ashulia, Savar and Konabari areas. During their protests, workers blocked roads and vandalised a number of vehicles and factories. A few vehicles were also set on fire.
Police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control, which left a garment worker dead and a good number of police and workers injured. However, the strike was confined to Dhaka, Gazipur, Ashulia and Savar industrial areas. Till filing of this report, protests continued in several areas of Gazipur district.
One of the deceased was identified as Russel Howlader, 26, an electrician at Design Express Limited in Gazipur, and son of Hannan Howlader. He hailed from Sadar upazila of Jhalakathi district. According to industrial police source, Hannan was involved in protests. After getting injured, he was admitted to Tongi Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital.
Gazipur Metropolitan Police in a statement said that Tairunnessa Memorial Medical College and Hospital authority informed Gacha police that Russel was admitted to their hospital as he suffered cardiac arrest. Later, they referred him to Tongi Hospital for better treatment, and the hospital then sent him to Dhaka Medical Collage Hospital. Russel died on the way.
Besides, a man died after workers set fire to a garment factory--ABM Fashion Ltd--in Konabari area on Monday, fire service sources said. The identity of the victim could not be known immediately. Three fire-fighting units rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control.
Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) South Deputy Commissioner (Detective) Mohammad Ibrahim Khan said, "We fired teargas shells, rubber bullets and bullets to control the situation. We are not sure whether Russel was killed in shooting or other reasons. We will be sure after investigation.”
In an effort to control the situation, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) talked to trade union leaders and law enforcement agencies physically and over phone. The apex body also called a press briefing at its Dhaka office today.
What’s happening?
The garment workers have been demonstrating since early last year, demanding a monthly minimum wage of Tk 23,000 to Tk 25,000, according to reports received from industrial police, BGMEA, labour ministry and trade unions.
Six trade union alliances are at the forefront of these protests. Workers are also calling for a reduction in job grades from 7 to 5, an extension of maternity leave from four months to six months, a raise in basic salary to 65 per cent, introduction of rationing system for RMG workers, and initiation of service benefits and gratuity for garment workers.
Though most of the demonstrations have concluded peacefully, some have turned into clashes when law enforcement agencies and ruling party activists have intervened.
Against a backdrop of demonstrations, the government on April 9 this year formed a new wage board to review salaries in the RMG sector. But owners' representative on the board, Siddiqur Rahman, failed to submit a proposal within the stipulated time.
Following ongoing unrest, the government extended the board's tenure by six months, leading to the submission of a proposal by RMG owners on October 22, setting the monthly minimum salary at Tk 10,400. In contrast, the workers' representative proposed Tk 20,393 as minimum wage.
The board has scheduled its next meeting for November 1. However, workers expressed their dissatisfaction with the owners' proposal, terming it illogical and inadequate, especially in the context of ongoing inflation, prompting them to take to the streets. To date, numerous workers have not returned to work and are actively participating in demonstrations, with some escalating into violence.
The workers on Sunday targeted several establishments, including Hornbill Apparels, PN Composite, Meghna Net Composite, Fashion Point, PBL Knit Composites, Swadhin Garments, Fashion Summit, Greenland Garments, International Training Service, Tusuka Trouser, Life Textile, Rezaul Apparels, Kaniz Fashion, Dycin Chemical Industries, ABM Fashion, and Islam Knitwear.
Amid the situation, the Ministry of Labour and Employment took steps to resolve this crisis by convening a meeting with RMG sector trade union leaders on Sunday. In this meeting, State Minister Monnujan Sufian called on the workers not to engage in demonstrations until the new wage structure for the RMG sector is announced.
Trade union leaders, however, denied any involvement in the ongoing workers' strike and attributed the unrest to the minimum wage board and RMG factory owners, asserting that their actions led to this 'unexpected situation.'
Trade union leaders argued that if the wage board would have promptly announced a fair wage structure and if the owners would have proposed a more reasonable wage formula, the RMG sector might have averted this crisis. They also criticised the appointment of an allegedly unfit representative from BGMEA to minimum wages board.
Trade union leaders firmly believe that only a fair and reasonable salary structure can quell the ongoing crisis.
Furthermore, concerns have been raised about the role of the industrial police unit and law enforcement agencies in protecting industrial areas. Trade union leaders claim that vandalism occurred in presence of law enforcement officers.
Both the parties asked workers to join their work and perform their duty until the new wage structure is announced.
But the workers took to the streets on Monday morning and started staging demonstrations to press home their demand. They blocked key roads in the areas. As the law enforcement agencies tried to disperse them from the street, the clash erupted and workers vandalised vehicles and factories.
A senior official of the industrial police told The Business Post on Monday evening, “Though the workers were protesting since last week, today’s violence was massive than previous days. Workers blocked roads and vandalised factories and vehicles. When police tried to disperse them from the street, they also threw brickbats. Police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control.
Claiming that a good number of police were injured in the clash and the strike continued till the evening, he said, “We came to know that a garment worker died who was involved in the clash. But still we are not confirmed about the cause of his death. Many workers are also injured.”
“It is difficult to confirm how many factories and vehicles were vandalized during the clash as protests were still continuing in several areas. But we confirmed that the strike and protest were limited in Gazipur, Savar and Ashulia areas,” he added.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan mourned the death of the RMG worker and said, “BGMEA held several meetings with the workers leaders to normalise the situation. We don’t want any strike and causalities as workers are our lifeline.”
Saying that BGMEA is committed to increase workers’ salary and it will be effective from this December, he said, “We asked our members to shut their factories on security ground. But many culprits, I believed, are not our workers, vandalising factories even after closure.
“Many factories already shut due to the strike and buyers feel fear to visit Bangladesh and even to place orders. Factory owners are also feeling insecure.”
“We don’t know what will happen as law and order deteriorates in industrial areas while the country’s political situation also becomes volatile. If the situation prolongs, people will have to go through a difficult time in the coming days,” he added.
