Hundreds of Bangladesh factories closed after labor unrest over wage hike

By Sheuli Akter
DHAKA, Nov. 13 (NsNewsWire) — All the garment factories at a mega industrial belt Ashulia on the outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka  remained closed Wednesday following workers’ unrest over wage hike..

Citing security concerns, the apex body of Bangladesh’s woven garment manufacturers Tuesday night decided to shut down all the Ashulia garment factories.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Tuesday night after violent demonstrations by tens of thousands of garment workers at Ashulia.

Paramilitary troops have been deployed in strategically important points in Ashulia to avoid any untoward incident.

Tens of thousands of workers Tuesday morning took to the streets demanding a minimum monthly wage of 8,114 taka (about 104 U.S. dollars).

The RMG workers unhappy with the last week’s wage hike recommendation by a government board also staged demonstrations in Ashulia in the last couple of days to press home their demand.

The Bangladeshi government board on Nov. 4 recommended 5,300 taka (about 68 U.S. dollars) as the minimum monthly wage for the country’s 4 million garment workers, nearly a 77 percent hike from the existing monthly pay.

But the country’s garment factory owners Monday rejected the minimum wage fixed by the board.

Bangladesh’s Labor and Employment Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju Monday said the government will soon make a decision on fixing minimum wage which will be good for both the owners and the workers.

The South Asian country’s garment sector, which turns out 20 billion U.S. dollars’ worth of exports annually, comprises about 5,000 factories employing more than 4 million workers, 80 percent of whom are women.