Workers’ movement: 421 RMG factories shut in Gazipur-Ashulia

At least 421 factories in Gazipur and Ashulia have remained shut in the face of protests. Half of these factories have been closed since last Tuesday.

Gazipur industrial police’s superintendent Sarowar Alam told Prothom Alo a total of 386 garmentt factories have remained shut in the areas adjacent to Gazipur city, Konabari, Kashimpur and Kaliakair today.

The number of closed industries can be more, he added.

Mohammad Sarowar Alam, superintendent of industrial police-1, told Prothom Alo, “We’ve received closure notices from 30 to 35 factories. Some factories were opened today but were later shut.”

Garments Sramik Oikya League’s central committee general secretary Md Sarowar Hossain said many factories in Ashulia declared shut till Friday. Workers came to work in six factories but they left around an hour later.

The government in April established a wage board for setting the minimum monthly wage of garment workers. The representatives of RMG workers in the fourth meeting of the board on 22 October proposed Tk 20,393 as minimum monthly wage. Factory owners' representatives, on the other hand, proposed Tk 10,400 as the minimum monthly wage.

The following day, the RMG workers in Gazipur took to the streets. The movement then spread to Ashulia-Savar. Two workers were killed Monday.

As the movement turned more violent on Tuesday, BGMEA in a press conference declared that the owners can shut factories if the owners want.
The owners then shut their factories.

In the face of protest from RMG workers, the owners decided to increase their proposed monthly wage from Tk 10,400. The owners, however, did not disclose what will be their revised amount.

Prothom Alo’s Gazipur correspondent said the industrial area of Gazipur was relatively quiet yesterday as the factories were shut. But workers of several factories gathered in Gazipur city’s Vogra bypass area on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway on Thursday morning. As the protesters tried to block the highway, police dispersed them using sound grenades and tear shells.

Meanwhile, the RMG owners held a meeting with home minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday evening and sought additional security for the factories. Prime minister’s private industry and investment adviser Salman F Rahman was also present during the meeting.

BGMEA’s president Faruk Hasan told Prothom Alo last night that the home minister has assured of providing security for the factories. The shut factories have been asked to keep shut till Friday. The factories would open from Saturday.

If any workers don’t join work after the factories reopen, their acts would be considered unlawful, said the BGMEA president.