Wednesday, October 18th, 2006At least 100 garment workers were injured yesterday when police clubbed a procession demanding salary and Eid bonus around the EPZ area under Ashulia thana in Savar.The agitating workers vandalised a dozen vehicles at Nabinagar and Kaliakoir bus stations and barricaded the Nabinagar-Kaliakoir highway for two hours.The clashes between the workers and law enforcers left several policemen injured while a number of commuters were also injured being caught in the middle of the clash.The workers said the owners of around 10 garment factories had closed their production units several days back without paying salary and Eid bonus.The affected ...
(read more) Friday, October 13th, 2006Opposing Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association's (BGMEA) earlier threat to shut down garment units for an indefinite period, most of the factory owners yesterday sought government's immediate intervention to prevent further unrest in the industry. The garment owners feared there might be more violence in the country's 75 per cent foreign exchange earning sector, especially on October 15 and 16, as some labour organisations called strike for the days.Some owners warned of 'mass movement of owners and workers' if the violence in the garment sector continues.Criticising the government's failure to protect the industry from the frequent violence ...
(read more) Thursday, October 12th, 2006Ten cases were filed with six police stations in and around the capital against over 7,000 people on charges of vandalising garment factories, shopping complexes, vehicles and assault on police that occurred during the strike on Tuesday called by several readymade garment (RMG) workers' organisations. Thousands of RMG workers staged violent demonstrations in Dhaka, Savar and Gazipur on Tuesday, vandalising around 100 RMG units and a number of banks, and looting shopping complexes.Following the incident, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters' Association (BGMEA) threatened to shut down their factories for an indefinite period if the government failed to take stern action ...
(read more) Wednesday, October 11th, 2006Thousands of garment workers staged violent demonstrations in Dhaka and Gazipur yesterday, barricading major thoroughfares in Mirpur and Uttara for around four hours and vandalising around 100 apparel-manufacturing units and looting shopping complexes.Law-enforcers were very late to show up in the site of destruction, allowing the workers to run amok practically without any resistance. When a few policemen arrived at last, the demonstrators locked in fierce clashes with them at Azampur in Uttara and Shewrapara in Mirpur, leaving over 100 people including 15 policemen injured.They beat up the officer-in-charge (OC) of Uttara Police Station and snatched his pistol and walkie-talkie. ...
(read more) Sunday, October 8th, 2006Agitated garment workers yesterday vandalised three factories belonging to Alana Group and damaged at least 15 vehicles at Pallabi in the capital.Witnesses said several hundred workers of Tunic Apparels near Purabi Cinema went berserk at around 3:30pm after the factory staff beat up six workers staging a demonstration inside the factory demanding increased salary and payment of last month's salary.A worker, Abul Kalam Azad, said the workers became infuriated after the staff beat up six of the agitating workers mercilessly as they tried to go to the sixth floor of the factory to place their demands to the authorities.The injured ...
(read more) Saturday, October 7th, 2006Rejecting the minimum wages in the readymade garment (RMG) sector that was declared on Thursday, different workers' bodies yesterday declared countrywide strike on separate dates and vowed to 'force' the government to reconsider the pay structure.Garment Sramik Sangram Parishad, an alliance of 11 garment workers associations, declared countrywide strike on October 10, National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) and United Federation of Garment Workers (UFGW) on October 15 and National Protection Alliance for Garment Workers and Industries (NPAGWI) on October 16.NGWF will submit a memorandum to the labour ministry on October 8 demanding Eid bonus.Sramic Karmachari Oikya Parishad in a statement ...
(read more) Friday, October 6th, 2006The Minimum Wage Board yesterday announced the final pay structure for the workers in the readymade garment (RMG) sector fixing Tk 1,662.50 as the minimum monthly wage including basic salary, house rent and other allowances for the entry-level workers. All the six members of the board signed the final recommendation, which will be sent to the government on the next working day.The board yesterday announced two separate pay structures for the garment workers and the employees.There are seven grades for the workers and four grades for the employees. Minimum wage for grade one workers will be a total ...
(read more) Thursday, October 5th, 2006The Minimum Wage Board will announce today a final and single pay package for the workers in the readymade garment (RMG) sector recommending around Tk 1,700 as the minimum wage for the entry-level workers. Earlier a draft proposal with recommendation for three-tier pay package failed to get support from owners and workers.The final proposal may also have seven grades like the draft proposal but there would be significant reduction of pay in the grades other than the seventh, sources said, adding that the final proposal is likely to be accepted by all the six members of the board.Besides, there ...
(read more) Sunday, October 1st, 2006At least 50 people including 10 policemen and three journalists were injured during a series of clashes between the law enforcers and garment workers at Uttara in the capital yesterday when the workers went on a rampage demanding wage increase, bonus and arrears.The workers attacked Uttara Police Station, damaged around a dozen vehicles including seven police vans parked inside and a makeshift police camp. Police fired several rounds of rubber bullet and 35 teargas canisters to disperse the marauding garment workers.During the four and a half hours demonstration, the aggrieved workers vandalised two markets, as many banks, wayside restaurants and ...
(read more) Saturday, September 30th, 2006Different workers organisations in readymade garment (RMG) sector yesterday gave a 72-hour ultimatum to the government and the factory owners for fixing wages of the workers.They warned of a tougher movement if their demands are not met within 72 hours and said the recently passed labour laws would create anarchy in the country."The government and the owners did not implement the tripartite accord regarding minimum wage and other issues of the RMG workers. This might cause deterioration in the overall situation for which the government and the owners will be fully responsible," President of Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employees League ...
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