RMG workers repeatedly take to the streets over arrears

Labour unrest shows no signs of end at factories in Gazipur with workers blocking highways repeatedly demanding arrears. Workers blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh, Dhaka-Tangail and Chandra-Nabinagar highways at least 25 times over the past three and a half months pressing various demands, thus, causing unbearable miseries to thousands of people who move on these routes.

More than a thousand workers of TNZ Apparels Limited blocked the Dhaka-Meymensingh highway from 9:00 am on Saturday, demanding the payment of arrears. They withdrew the blockade after 52 hours on Monday afternoon but resumed the demonstration two hours later at 4:00 pm. Finally, they called off the blockade around 10:15 pm upon the assurance of receiving their unpaid wages by next Sunday.

Before this, people suffered immensely after another group of workers took to the streets in the Maleker Bari area of the city. Twenty factories were declared closed in the surrounding areas considering the overall situation.

Replying to a query on why they demonstrated, Md Sultan Uddin, a worker of the TNZ Apparels Limited, “Look, you never get the outcomes in this country unless you take to demonstrate. We block the roads; you are witnessing it, and the senior officials also watching it. Now see, there will certainly be solutions now. We will not leave unless we receive the salary. We took to the streets without eating anything. This time, we will go home with wages.”

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) assistance committee ANM Saifuddin told Prothom Alo the owner of the TNZ Apparels currently stays in Saudi Arabia, and even if his wealth and loans are adjusted it will not be enough to pay workers’ wages.

The issues would have been settled quickly if he had been in the country. Replying to another query, the current administrator of BGMEA is working, but it is taking time since there is no committee now.

Sources said Dhaka-Mymensingh, Dhaka-Tangail and Chandra-Nabinagar highways in Gazipur were blocked at least 25 times over the past three and a half months after the Student Against Discrimination movement. According to the industry police sources, labour unrest took place in at least 40 factories in Gazipur during this period.

Workers of BEXIMCO Industrial Park blocked roads for 4-5 days in the Sarabo area of Gazipur demanding arrears. Workers of Radial International and Irish Fashion Factory in the Zirani area blocked the Chandra-Navinagar road for at least four days demanding a hike in attendance allowance and tiffin and night bills.

Factory authorities accepted workers’ demands after the police and army intervened and the situation became normal.

On the other hand, workers of six factories of Konabari Tusuka Group, Islam Garments Limited, Rezaul Apparels Limited, Fashion Summit Limited, KM Novely Garments Limited, Fashion Point, Ripon Knitwear, Lifetax Limited, Kaniz Fashion, ABM Fashion Limited, PN Composite, Mukul Knitwear, Cotton Club, Emma Syntax, Basic Clothing and Apparel Plus blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway.

Workers of Mahmud Jeans and Nurul Spinning Factories also demonstrated and blocked the road in the Chandra area. Besides, Workers of Doreen Fashion also staged a demonstration in the Panishail area.

Most factories are located on both sides of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Tongi to Sreepur’s Bagherbazar area. The highway was blocked 19-20 times over the past three months, but these incidents were settled within several hours.

A sub-inspector of Gazipur industrial police said on condition of anonymity, “When factory owners do not pay and repress workers, workers take to the streets and then the administration becomes active. We then pressurise the authorities to normalise the situation, thus, the issues are solved easily.”

It has been learned after talking to industry police, locals and workers that labour unrest took place in Gazipur and elsewhere in the country demanding minimum wages. Later, factories increased workers’ wages but started laying off manpower.

Following the change in the government, these laid-off workers started gathering at the factories to get back their jobs. Besides, many other workers also demonstrated pressing their demands. Protesting workers blocked roads, causing misery to people.

Worker leader Arman Hossain said, “Mainly 8-10 factories are in trouble in Ashulia and Gazipur. They do not have many arrears. Properties of those factory owners must be sold to pay workers’ arrears if needed. Workers assume they can realize their demand by blocking the road and this perception must change.”

Sultan Mia drives a bus of the Balaka Paribahan in Gazipur. He told Prothom Alo, “I drive vehicles for 10-12 years. I never drove a bus peacefully. Workers are taking to the street for various reasons and blocking the roads for hours. Our income drops and owners face losses.”

Saying workers demonstrated for various reasons, industry police super Mohammad Sarwar Alam told Pothom Alo, “It is also my question why workers block roads demanding arrears. They can go to the BGMEA building or demonstrate at factories. It is not right to cause suffering to people by blocking roads.”

Workers had long maintained a distance from senior officers at most factories and were afraid of raising their demands. Now workers started raising their demands in the changed situation, National Garments Workers Alliance central committee organising secretary Md Ashrafuzzaman said.

If roads are blocked everyone becomes active and problems are solved. As workers found no solution even after going to the BGMEA building, they were compelled to take to the street, he added.