2024-09-06 10:43:11
Garment workers are protesting in Savar’s Ashulia on Wednesday (September 4) for various demands. The authorities have declared a holiday in at least 70 factories after the workers protest.
Industrial police and locals said that various workers from Jirabo area from Bypile on Bypile-Abdullahpur road of Ashulia joined the factory at around 8 o’clock on Wednesday morning.
However, around 8:30 a.m., the workers of the closed factories in the vicinity came and protested in front of the operating factories. At that time, they threw brickbats at the factory. At one stage job aspirants also joined them. Due to this, the authorities were forced to declare holidays in the factories. At this time, the angry workers started protesting at different places on the road. The army, industrial police members explained them and removed them from the road. As the workers stayed on the road, severe traffic jam was created on the road.
A tea shopkeeper near Ha-Meem Group’s factory in Narsinghpur area said that work was going on in the factory since morning. After that, when people protested in front of the factory for jobs, the factory gave them leave.
Meanwhile, workers protested in front of the factory of Pearl Garments Company Limited in Palashbari area of Ashulia around 10 am demanding tiffin allowance, increase in attendance bonus, increase in annual salary, maternity leave. At one stage, they blocked the Chandra highway from Nabinagar and started protesting, causing traffic jams on both sides of the highway. At around 2 pm, army personnel and Dhaka district police arrived at the spot and requested the workers to leave the road. However, the workers announced that they will not leave the road until their demands are met.
On the other hand, the workers took position in front of the garment factory named Gildan Bangladesh in Palashbari area to prevent the attack. A worker of that factory said, ‘We want to work. Factory is our asset so it is our responsibility to protect it. What will I eat if the factory is closed?’
Sharmin Group of Narsinghpur area of Ashulia was forced to leave the factory half an hour after the start of work due to the attack of outsiders. At that time, two minibuses in front of the factory were vandalized, said the factory authorities.
Sharmin Group MD Ismail Hossain said, ‘Nasa Group, Al Muslim and New Age Garments were closed. They open today. When some outsiders came and vandalized the factories, the factories declared a holiday, we also declared a holiday. Our workers were working. If there is an attack from outside, we declare a holiday for the safety of the workers.’
Sadhan Babu, general manager of The Rose Dresses Limited factory in Jamgra area, said, ‘Our workers started work in the morning. After that the workers of nearby IDS, FNF factories came down, I don’t know why they came down. We have heard that workers have also been laid off from factories around them. The factory is closed. The workers of the furloughed factories were also coming towards us, later we gave furlough to the workers out of fear. In the last two days, I have seen that when the workers of a factory come down, they take the workers of another factory down.’
Sadhan Babu said, ‘Our factory is a little inside from the main road. We did not see any police or army vehicles on our side. It is unsafe to operate the factory under such conditions.
Meanwhile, around 9 am, some people climbed over the wall of Kazi Food Industries Limited in Ashulia and entered the factory premises. When they opened the main gate of the factory, 15-20 people entered the factory premises with rods and sticks. They threw bricks and broke the windows of the factory. Besides, they broke the CCTV camera of the main gate and the front glass of a cargo truck.
Nirendu Chakraborty, Deputy General Manager (Factory Head) of Kazi Food Industries Limited said, ‘Factory operations start from 6 am. Around 9 o’clock a group of 4-5 people climbed the wall and entered and opened the main gate. Then 15-20 people entered the factory premises with sticks and rods. They pelted stones and smashed window panes, front glass of a truck, CCTV cameras. When they leave, the factory is declared a holiday.’
Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Workers Trade Union Center said, ‘The workers’ demand is to bring equality between men and women by employing male workers. Workers cannot be retrenched in words, they must be guaranteed employment. These are the main demands to reduce production pressure. Besides, leave must be given properly, workers cannot be tortured. Many are demanding that the attendance bonus should be increased. 7 points in a factory, 11 points in some places, 15 points in some places.’
When asked to know the reason behind this unrest, why the industrial area is hot, this labor leader said, ‘The conflict between the ownership of the factory or the leadership of BGMEA is playing a role here. The change of hands from those who had the control of fake business during the Awami League period is also playing a role. There is a class when there is such a protest they enter the factories and loot them. Apart from this, the settlement or negotiation done by the police or the industrial police on behalf of the government has not been noticed. The security of the industrial area was not seen much. I think the matter should be resolved quickly by accepting the logical demands of the workers.’
Superintendent of Police Mohammad Sarwar Alam of Industrial Zone Police-1 in Ashulia said, ‘The workers came to the factory at the appointed time. In between, when the protesting workers spoke to the factory workers of the Ha-Meem Group about why they were working, the factory of the Ha-Meem Group was declared on strike. After that many factories concerned authorities announced holidays. At present the situation in that area is normal.’