গার্মেন্টস শ্রমিক সমস্যা ও মালিকদের সরকার

- বদরুদ্দীন উমর

গার্মেন্টস শিল্প এলাকায় একটানাভাবে দীর্ঘদিন ধরে শ্রমিক অসন্তোষ ও তার পরিণতিতে ব্যাপক শ্রমিক বিক্ষোভ চলে আসছে। প্রায় প্রতিদিনই কোন না কোন এলাকার গার্মেন্টস কারখানায় বিক্ষোভ, ভাংচুর, পুলিশ ও মালিক পক্ষের গুণ্ডাবাহিনীর আক্রমণ ও মারধরের খবর সংবাদপত্রে ছাপা হয়। অসহনীয় নিম্ন মজুরি এবং সে মজুরিও নিয়মিত না দেয়া এসব বিক্ষোভের মূল কারণ হলেও সাধারণভাবে এ শিল্পে শ্রমিকদের কাজের শর্ত ও অবস্থাও এ অসন্তোষ ও বিক্ষোভের অন্যতম প্রধান কারণ।

সাধারণভাবে আন্দোলন অসংগঠিত ও স্বতঃস্ফূর্ত হলেও এ শিল্পে নিয়োজিত শ্রমিকদের মজুরি এবং অন্য নানা দাবি-দাওয়া তারা মালিক পক্ষ ও সরকারের কাছে পেশ করে থাকেন। তবে এ ব্যাপারে সারাদেশে, এমনকি ঢাকা অঞ্চলের গার্মেন্টস কারখানা শ্রমিকদের মধ্যে আন্দোলন ক্ষেত্রে কোন সমন্বয় নেই। এটাই স্বাভাবিক, কারণ এখানে এ শিল্পে ট্রেড ইউনিয়ন বলতে কিছু নেই। কয়েকটি গার্মেন্টস ফেডারেশন থাকলেও প্রত্যেক কারখানায় ট্রেড ইউনিয়নের কোন ইউনিট নেই এবং সেটা না থাকায় কোন গার্মেন্টস ফেডারেশনই যে সন্তোষজনকভাবে কাজ করতে পারে না, এটা কোন বিতর্কের বিষয় নয়। কাজেই শ্রমিকরা বিচ্ছিন্নভাবে বিভিন্ন এলাকায় গিয়ে আন্দোলন করেন, সেক্ষেত্রে এ ফেডারেশনগুলোর ভূমিকা প্রান্তিক ছাড়া অন্য কিছু বলা যায় না।

শাসক শ্রেণীর যে কোন সরকারই যে মূলত মালিক শ্রেণীর সরকার এবং তাদের স্বার্থ রক্ষাই সরকারের কাজ, এটা এক অবিসংবাদিত সত্য। কাজেই শ্রমিকদের দাবি-দাওয়ার ক্ষেত্রে সরকার যতদূর সম্ভব মালিকদের পক্ষেই কাজ করে। এর জন্য তারা শ্রমিকদের ওপর দমনপীড়নও যথেচ্ছভাবে করে থাকে। শুধু তাই নয়, দেখা গেছে, গার্মেন্টস মালিকরা কারখানাগুলো অনুপযুক্ত ভবনে স্থাপন করায় এবং প্রয়োজনীয় নিরাপত্তা ব্যবস্থা না রাখায় শত শত শ্রমিক বছরের পর বছর অগ্নিকাণ্ডে নিহত হলেও একের পর এক দলের সরকার সে বিষয়ে কিছুই করেনি। নিহতদের পরিবারকে ক্ষতিপূরণ দেয়ার চিন্তা দীর্ঘদিন তাদের মাথায় থাকেনি। পরে কোন কোন ক্ষেত্রে ক্ষতিপূরণ দেয়া হলেও তার পরিমাণ অতি তুচ্ছ। তাছাড়া অনেক লাশ গুম করে দেয়ায় তাদের পরিবার সামান্য ক্ষতিপূরণ থেকেও বঞ্চিত থেকেছে। এই হল শ্রমিকদের প্রতি শুধু মালিকদের নয়, জনগণের ভোটে নির্বাচিত একের পর এক সরকারের আচরণ। বাংলাদেশে তিরিশ লাখের মতো গার্মেন্টস শ্রমিক আছেন, যার মধ্যে অধিকাংশই হলেন নারী। এই দরিদ্র নারী শ্রমিকদের থেকে শোষিত শ্রমিক শুধু বাংলাদেশেই নয়, দুনিয়ার কোন দেশেই নেই। আমাদের পার্শ্ববর্তী বা আমাদের দেশের মতোই অনুন্নত যে দেশগুলোতে গার্মেন্টস শিল্প ভালো ব্যবসা করে, তার মধ্যে পাকিস্তান, কম্বোডিয়া, ভিয়েতনাম, মালয়েশিয়া ইত্যাদি দেশে এই শিল্প শ্রমিকদের মজুরি বাংলাদেশের শ্রমিকদের থেকে অনেক বেশি। শ্রমিকদের এই নিম্ন মজুরি অর্থাৎ অতিরিক্ত শ্রমশক্তি শোষণই হল বাংলাদেশের গার্মেন্টস শিল্পের অতিরিক্ত মুনাফার কারণ, যার জন্য বাংলাদেশ সব থেকে বেশি বিদেশী মুদ্রা অর্জনকারী শিল্প বলে প্রচারিত এবং এদেশের শাসক শ্রেণীর কাছে সব থেকে আদরণীয়। কিন্তু এ শিল্প পরিচালনা এবং উৎপাদনের জন্য যন্ত্রপাতি, স্পেয়ার পার্টস, কাপড়, সুতা, বোতাম, রঙ ইত্যাদি আমদানির জন্য যে বিদেশী মুদ্রা ব্যয় হয়, সেটা রফতানি বাবদ অর্জিত মুদ্রা থেকে বাদ দিলে দেখা যাবে, এই শিল্প থেকে অর্জিত বিদেশী মুদ্রার পরিমাণ ঢাকঢোল পিটিয়ে যা বলা হয় তার থেকে অনেক কম। তবু এটা ঠিক যে, এ শিল্পই এখন বাংলাদেশে শিল্পের মধ্যে রফতানি ক্ষেত্রে সব থেকে উলে¬খযোগ্য। আগে পাট শিল্প সর্বোচ্চ বিদেশী মুদ্রা অর্জনকারী হলেও বিশ্বব্যাংক ও এদেশে সাম্রাজ্যবাদের তল্পিবাহক রাজনৈতিক নেতৃত্ব ও আমলাবৃন্দ সে শিল্পকে পরিকল্পিতভাবে ধ্বংস করে এখন তার প্রান্তিকীকরণ ঘটিয়েছে। যেহেতু গার্মেন্টস কারখানায় উৎপাদিত পণ্যসামগ্রী সাম্রাজ্যবাদীদের নিজেদের জন্য খুব আবশ্যকীয়, এজন্য এ শিল্পে তাদের স্বার্থ আছে। এর উৎপাদিত পণ্য যত কম মূল্যে পাওয়া যায়, তার জন্য তাদের চেষ্টার অন্ত নেই। তাদের এ চেষ্টার সঙ্গে এই শিল্প মালিকদের স্বার্থের যোগ অবিচ্ছেদ্য। কাজেই এক্ষেত্রে তারা হাত ধরাধরি করে চলে এবং এই যুগল স্বার্থ যাতে যথাযথভাবে রক্ষিত হয়, তার জন্য মালিক স্বার্থের প্রতিনিধি এবং সাম্রাজ্যবাদের বশংবদ সরকার শ্রমিকদের বিরুদ্ধে অবস্থান নিয়ে তাদের শ্রমনীতি ও শ্রম আইন প্রণয়ন করে। বাংলাদেশে এখন এভাবে নতুন শ্রমনীতি প্রণয়নের পাঁয়তারা চলছে। তবে এটাও চলছে এমনিতে নয়, দীর্ঘদিন ধরে বাংলাদেশে গার্মেন্টস শিল্প শ্রমিকদের মধ্যে বিরাজমান অসন্তোষ এবং সাম্প্রতিক বিক্ষোভ ও আন্দোলনের মুখে।

সরকারের এই শিল্পনীতি বলতে প্রধানত বোঝায় শ্রমিকদের মজুরি পুনর্নির্ধারণ। কিন্তু এক্ষেত্রে শ্রমিকদের ট্রেড ইউনিয়ন অধিকার প্রতিষ্ঠা, প্রত্যেক কারখানায় ট্রেড ইউনিয়ন গঠন, শ্রমিক-মালিক দরকষাকষির সুষ্ঠু ব্যবস্থা, ধর্মঘটের অধিকার, দেশের বর্তমান মূল্যস্ফীতি ও নিত্যপ্রয়োজনীয় জিনিসপত্রের মূল্যবৃদ্ধির পরিস্থিতিতে মজুরির বাৎসরিক পর্যালোচনা ও পুনর্নির্ধারণ ইত্যাদি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বিষয় সরকারের শিল্পনীতিতে বিশেষ অথবা কোন গুরুত্বপূর্ণ স্থান পায় না।

যদিও এদেশে ট্রেড ইউনিয়নগুলো ঠিকমতো কাজ করে না। তাদের মধ্যে মালিক ও সরকারি দালালদের উপস্থিতি শ্রমিকদের জন্য প্রায়ই ক্ষতিকর হয়ে দাঁড়ায়, তা সত্ত্বেও ট্রেড ইউনিয়ন ছাড়া শ্রমিক ও মালিক পক্ষের মধ্যে আনুষ্ঠানিক যোগাযোগ ও দরকষাকষির অন্য কোন কার্যকর ব্যবস্থা শিল্পক্ষেত্রে নেই। বাংলাদেশের অন্যান্য শিল্পক্ষেত্রে, বিশেষত সরকার পরিচালিত শিল্পে ট্রেড ইউনিয়ন যেভাবে কাজ করে, সেটা খুবই অসন্তোষজনক হলেও গার্মেন্টস শিল্পে তারও কোন নামগন্ধ দেখা যায় না। এ শিল্পে আন্তর্জাতিক শ্রম সংস্থার (আইএলও) কোন নিয়ম-কানুনই মেনে চলা হয় না। সরকারই এসব ক্ষেত্রে মালিকদের রেয়াত দিয়ে রেখেছে।

এ বছরের প্রথম থেকেই আশুলিয়া, কাঁচপুর, মিরপুর, সাভার ইত্যাদি ঢাকা অঞ্চলের গার্মেন্টস কারখানাগুলোতে ব্যাপক শ্রমিক অসন্তোষ ও বিক্ষোভ চলে আসছে। এক্ষেত্রে শ্রমিকদের দাবি-দাওয়া ন্যায়সঙ্গত হলেও তা মেটানোর চেষ্টা মালিক ও সরকারের পক্ষে দেখা যায়নি। তবে এ পরিস্থিতির একটা বড় রকম চাপ তাদের উভয়ের ওপর আছে। এ কারণে শ্রমিকদের সঙ্গে নয়, মালিকদের সঙ্গে শলাপরামর্শ করে সরকার সমস্যা মোকাবেলার চেষ্টায় আছে। এই চেষ্টার সব থেকে উলে¬খযোগ্য দিক যেখানে হওয়া দরকার এ শিল্পে ট্রেড ইউনিয়ন গঠনের অধিকার প্রদান এবং ট্রেড ইউনিয়ন কার্যপ্রক্রিয়া যাতে শুরু হয়, তার ব্যবস্থা করা হলেও সরকার এর ধারেকাছেও নেই। তাদের গার্মেন্টস শিল্পনীতির মূল দিক হল মজুরি সামান্য বৃদ্ধি, যা শ্রমিকদের সঙ্গে নয়, মালিকদের সঙ্গে কথাবার্তার মাধ্যমে নির্ধারিত হচ্ছে। শুধু এ বিষয়টি যে মালিকদের সঙ্গে পরামর্শ করে হচ্ছে তা-ই নয়, মালিকদের চাপে এখন পরিস্থিতি সামাল দেয়ার জন্য তাদের সরকার ট্রেড ইউনিয়ন নয়, শিল্প পুলিশের ব্যবস্থা করছে। মালিকদের সঙ্গে আলোচনা করে এ বিষয়ে সরকার সিদ্ধান্ত গ্রহণ করেছে বলে অর্থমন্ত্রী সাংবাদিকদের জানিয়েছেন।

এ মাসের শেষদিকে সরকার গার্মেন্টস শ্রমিকদের জন্য নিম্নতম মজুরি ঘোষণা করবে বলে ঘোষণা দিয়েছে। কিন্তু যে মজুরি তারা ঘোষণা করবেন তার আভাস থেকে বোঝা যাচ্ছে, তার দ্বারা এই শিল্পে শ্রমিক অসন্তোষ বন্ধ হওয়ার নয়। শুধু তাই নয়, শ্রমিকদের জন্য নিয়োগপত্র, তাদের অন্যান্য প্রয়োজনীয় সুযোগ-সুবিধার কোন ব্যবস্থা সরকারের নতুন শ্রমনীতির মধ্যে থাকার কোন কথাই শোনা যাচ্ছে না। এসব দ্বারা নতুন করে প্রমাণ হবে সরকার মালিকদেরই, শ্রমিকদের কেউ নয়।

[সূত্রঃ যুগান্তর, ১১/০৭/১০]

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Fire Panic at RMG Factory: 2 workers killed in stampede, 65 hurt

Two female garment workers were trampled to death yesterday by their fellow workers while rushing down the pitch-black and narrow staircase of a garment factory in the city's Chankharpool area fearing a fire.

The incident also left at least 65 others injured, mostly women.

The deceased are Jasmin Akhter, 20, daughter of late Idris Ali of Shahidnagar in Lalbagh and Taslima Akhter, 18, daughter of Aziz Hawlader of Keraniganj.

The injured were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Of them, 22 were released after given first aid, said DMCH doctor Mehedi Hasan.

Incensed, workers of Eurotex Ltd on Hosni Dalan Road later vandalised parts of the factory and staged demonstrations demanding the production manager be punished since he had allegedly asked the factory gate to be closed when the workers were trying to escape.

Witnesses said around 1:00pm some workers saw smoke coming out of the boiler room on the second floor of the seven-storey factory and got down using the two narrow staircases. When they got down, the factory authorities told them there was no fire and asked them to get back to work.

Returning to work within five minutes, the garment employees saw more smoke and smelt gas.

“I saw the smoke gushing out and smelt the gas,” said Jahanara Begum, a worker at the second floor.

Apprehending the possibility of the gas igniting, the workers began panicking and rushed to go out.

To make sure the gas does not ignite, a factory official disconnected the mains and the factory went dark.

As the female workers crowded a staircase designated for their use, the guard rail of the stairs broke and many fell from the stairs on to the ones below. Many got trampled then by the ones who were trying to get out.

However, when they reached the gate downstairs, they found it locked.

The workers also blamed the security guards for the deaths as they complied with the production manager's directives.

Contacted, factory administrative officer Muhasin Ali denied the allegation of keeping the gate closed but admitted that he had switched off the mains to avert a fire.

The Daily Star, Sunday, December 4, 2011

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BGMEA condemns violence in Gazipur Apparel Area

Garment manufacturers expressed their serious concern over the vandalism resorted to by a section of unruly people at Gazipur Apparel Industrial Area Sunday following a road accident that killed a worker.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the country's apex apparel body, in a statement said a group of over-enthusiastic people in the name of apparel workers created the violence only to shatter the image of the sector, which accounted for nearly 80 per cent of the country's total export earnings.

"It should not be accepted at all as it will send a negative signal to the international buyers," the statement said, mentioning that the trouble took place at a time when the industry was bouncing back after the adverse impact of the global financial meltdown.

"The so-called garment workers damaged several factories at Naljani of the industrial hub where hundreds of apparel units were located. BGMEA strongly protested the violent activities as it caused worries to the manufacturers," it said.

The statement also expressed their grief for the death of Ataur Rahman (26), a knitting operator of Body Fashion garment factory, saying that it was also unexpected. The apparel body prayed for the salvation of the departed soul.

Thousands of the garment workers had blockaded Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway for more than three hours in the morning, ransacked vehicles and set ablaze four buses.

Three more workers were also seriously injured in the road crash.

News Source: The Financial Express, Mon, 28/03/2011

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Apparel Makers protest shutdown during Cricket World Cup

Garment makers yesterday protested a government order to shut down factories during the ICC Cricket World Cup, saying the move would affect productivity at the factories.

Power distribution companies have already asked the manufacturers to follow government orders and keep factories closed from 5pm to 11pm, so that the cricket crazy viewers can watch matches on television from the saved electricity.

"I have already instructed the manufacturers to close factories as per government decision during the peak hours to save power for watching the cricket matches on TV," said Abdus Sobhan, managing director of Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC).

The manufacturers have been asked to follow the government decision until April 2, he said.

"The workers will also be deprived of overtime allowances and many manufacturers will have to delay shipments for disruption in production for such a move," said Abdus Salam Murshedy, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

BGMEA has already petitioned the related ministries so that the government decision is changed, Murshedy said. The exporters would not be able to execute the orders given by the international buyers in time because of the decision, he added.

"The decision is depressing our morale. Those are the peak hours for production," said Salim Osman, president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA).

Moreover, the workers will lose the overtime bills for reduced production, and more than 5,000 garment exporters employing millions of workers will be affected by the decision, he added.

The government took similar steps during the soccer World Cup in 2010 as power blackouts during the decisive matches saw tens of thousands of people staging violent protests, vandalising power offices and damaging cars.

Along with India and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh is a co-host of the World Cup cricket, which kicked off in Dhaka on February 19.

The Daily Star, Mon, 28/02/2011

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Over 2000 workers sued for Uttara EPZ clash

A case has been filed against 2,000 unnamed and 26 named workers over Thursday's clash between law enforcers and workers of a sweater factory at Uttara Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Nilphamari.

Sub-inspector A K Fazlul Haque Sarker of the Nilphamari Sadar Police Station filed the case on Saturday.

Officer-in-charge Nurul Islam told bdnews24.com that they were trying to identify those responsible for provoking the clash by creating dissatisfactions among the workers.

Meanwhile, authorities of Uttara Sweater Manufacturing Factory and Dais Spinning Company on Saturday declared the factories shut for an unidentified time over the clash.Uttara EPZ general manager Hafizur Rahman told bdnews24.com that over 5,000 workers became unemployed for the closure of the two garments factory.

Uttara Sweater Manufacturing Factory has some 3,500 workers while Dais Spinning Company has some 2,000 workers. There are at least 10,000 workers in eight production sites of the zone.

Rahman added that a certain quarter, in guise of workers, was trying to create anarchy in the EPZ area for a long time. They were holding conspiracies to hamper the job opportunities of the unemployed youths of the region.

A tense situation was prevailing in the EPZ area on Saturday, Rahman added.

At least 100 people, including some policemen, were injured in the clash in the EPZ area, on the outskirts of Nilphamari town, on Thursday.

The workers have long been demanding implementation of the new wage structure, reinstatement of sacked workers and withdrawal of cases filed against them in different times.

On that time, the garment workers besieged Nilphamari-Syedpur road for four hours. Police fired 245 rounds of rubber bullets and tear gas cells to take control of the situation.
Police also picked up six workers from the spot.

-New Nation, Sun, 23/01/2011

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22 hurt in RMG worker-cop clash

At least 22 people, including seven police personnel, were injured in a clash between garment workers and law enforcers at Uttara EPZ (export processing zone), on the outskirts of Nilphamari town, on Thursday.

Workers of Uttara EPZ went to work in the morning but they left the factories at about 9:00am and blocked the Nilphamari-Sayedpur-Dhaka highway demanding withdrawal of the two cases filed against 11 workers of Uttara Sweater Manufacturing Company Limited, the biggest unit at the EPZ.

They also demanded release of nine arrested workers and termination of Golam Mostafa, an official of the sweater company, bringing allegation that Mostafa used to harass the female workers of the factory.

On information, police from Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Bogra, Dinajpur and Rangpur rushed to the spot and charged batons, fire teargas shells and rubber bullets on the workers to disperse them.

At one stage, people of local villages joined them and started pelting brick chips on the law enforcers, injuring at least 15 people and seven policemen.

Officer-in-charge of Nilphamari Sadar Police Station Nurul Islam was among the injured cops.

Chase and counter-chase were taking place between them till filling of their report at about 12:15pm.

Officials of Diaz Spinning and Knitting Limited and Evergreen Products Factory Limited filed the two cases under Speedy Trial Act on January 2 this year and December 19, 2010 respectively against 11 workers on charge of ransacking the factories and obstructing others from attending work.

Later, police arrested the 11 accused but two of them secured bail later.

On January 5, several thousand workers of Uttara EPZ observed sit-in in front of the deputy commissioner's (DC) office demanding the same.

They also submitted a memorandum to the DC of Nilphamari on December 19.

-Daily Star, Thu, 20/01/2011

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RMG workers block Dhaka-Tangail highway for Eid bonus

Apparel workers still demands Eid bonus under new pay scale, but employer differs with the demand, read the full story - 

Thousands of garment workers went on strike and blocked Dhaka-Tangail Highway for several hours on Wednesday at Ashulia demanding Eid bonus in line with the new pay structure and wage in advance.

Earlier, on Tuesday, workers of Cosmopolitan Industries Pvt Ltd (CIPL), Universal and Sew Industrial Park in the area staged demonstration to press their same demands.

Police and locals said around three thousand workers from Taha Textile Ltd at Kabirpur in Ashulia blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Highway for one and half hour at 3:00pm, causing huge traffic jam in the area.

Ashulia Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sirajul Islam told The Daily Star that the garment workers started staging sit-in programmme inside the factory in the morning. They also chanted slogans demanding bonus for upcoming Eid and advance wages for the month.

At one stage the workers took to the street and blocked the highway disrupting vehicular movement on the highway.

Locals said police charged batons on the blockaders to disperse them and brought the situation under control around 4:30pm after the factory authority assured them of providing salaries on the day.

While contacted, Abdus Salam Murshedy, Abdus Salam Murshedy, president of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said “According to government order, the new pay structure will be effective from November 1 but we are paying the salary of October and so the bonus will be paid in line with the old pay structure.”

Considering humanitarian ground, he requested the owners of the factory to consider the matter as the financial condition of all the owners are not same, Murshedy said.

-Daily Star, Wed, 10/11/2010

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RMG workers go berserk over pay, 16 injured

Workers of three garment factories in Savar and Gazipur went on the rampage on Monday, demanding wages under new wage scales and payment of festival allowance and protesting at reduction in overtime allowance.

Workers also blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur for about an hour.

At least 16 workers were injured as the police charged baton to disperse the agitating workers.

New Age Savar correspondent reports: At least 2,400 workers of a sweater factory at Kolma demonstrated at the factory over seven-point demand including implementation of the new wage structure and immediate payment of festival allowance.

The agitated workers vandalised the factory. At least 10 people, including three of the factory officials, were injured. The injured officials are administration officers Kaysar Ahamad, Iqbal Ahmed and Ahsan Ullah.

The police and factory sources said the workers of Hot Dress Sweaters Limited started the demonstration in the morning.

The workers said the factory authorities paid their salaries on Sunday as per the old wage structure.

They also claimed that the authorities gave them the slip for house rent and bus fair without paying the bills.

They also demanded immediate payment of the festival allowance for Eid-ul-Azha.

The administration officer of the factory, Jahangir Alam, however, told New Age that the workers’ demands were illogical.

Officer-in-charge of the Savar police station Mahbubur Rahman said the workers vandalised valuables of the factory but now the situation was under control.

He said the factory authorities filed a case against 150 workers, 12 of whom were named, for vandalising the factory.

Additional police forces were deployed in the area to avoid any incident.

New Age Gazipur correspondent reports: Garments workers ransacked factory and vehicles and blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for about an hour at Vogra under sadar upaizla on Monday.

The police and spot accounts said the workers of Tex-Euro (BD) Ltd started strike Monday morning, demanding wages under the new structure and immediate payment of festival allowance and protesting at reduction in overtime allowance.

As the factory authorities paid no heed, the workers at one stage started ransacking the 3rd and 4th floor of the factory. They also destroyed the CC TV camera and 11 vehicles.

Later, they took to the adjacent Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and damaged the glasses of some vehicles and blocked the highway, causing tailbacks on the highway.

The workers withdrew the blockade and joined their work after the authorities assured them of meeting their demands.

Additional police and RAB forces were deployed in the area.

In another incident, workers vandalised Hechaung Sweater factory at Kaliakoir in Gazipur, demanding expulsion of five officials, accused of harassing workers.

Six workers were injured as a faction of workers clashed with the agitating workers.

The police, however, could bring the situation under control after about two hours.

The factory administration officer, Nazmul Alam, said the issue would be resolved through negotiation with the workers.

-New Age, Tue, 09/11/2010

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RMG demonstration in Gazipur

At least 50 people, including 17 policemen, were injured when apparel workers, rallying for an increase in production rate, clashed with the police at Nawjor and Kaliakair in Gazipur on Saturday.

Witnesses said Diganta Garments workers had clashed with police about 9:00am at Nawjor in the district headquarters. They went out on demonstrations on a 3km stretch of the Dhaka–Tangail Highway, blocking the road for more than an hour and creating congestion on the bypass.

Several hundred workers of Hachong Bangladesh at Baroipara of Kaliakair also went out on demonstrations at the factory gate alleging they were paid Tk 6 to Tk 7 less than they had been paid the month before in production rate, the police said.

Kaliakair police subinspector Osman Ghani said the workers had rallied for increased production rates since the morning.

Workers Aslam and Solaiman alleged that some dishonest officials had not paid them the amount allocated for them by the factory owner.

The workers left the place about 3:00pm after the administrative officer Nazmul Alam assured them of paying the full amount.

Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, additional superintendent of police Gazipur, said Diganta Garments workers had started rallying for increased production rate and removal of general manager MA Motalleb Miah.

Several thousand workers about 8:45am came out of the factory and started throwing stones at the factory building.

The workers also damaged two covered vans and a bus of the factory and set on fire a motorcycle and some furniture which they pulled onto the road.

The situation worsened after the police had reached the place as workers started throwing stones at the lawmen.

At least 50, including 17 policemen, the factory’s production manager Farid Hossain, merchandisers Sohel Rana and Shakil Ahmed, technical manager Mohammad Hazrat Ali, and cut-piece trader Sentu Mia were injured in the attack. ASP Mohamad Akhtaruzzaman was among the injured.

Lawmaker AKM Mozammel Haque, Gazipur deputy commissioner Kamal Uddin Talukder, police superintendent SM Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman and local elite reached the place about 11:45am and talked with the workers.

Mozammel later at a meeting between the owner and workers in front of the MH Filling Station in the presence of district administration officials asked the authorities to look into legitimate demands of the workers.

The managing director, Mohammad Kamal Uddin, agreed to meet the demand and increase the production rate. He promised to make the payment on Monday afternoon.
The situation started became normal about 2:00pm. The Diganta authorities decided to keep the factory closed on Sunday.

Workers of Karoni Knit Composite Limited at Ratanpur of Kaliakair went out on demonstrations over discrimination in wages in the morning.

The police said more than 200 old workers of the factory had gone on strike in protest at increase in pay for the new workers.

The police later reached there and controlled the situation.

-New Age, Sat, 06/11/2010

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RMG trouble erupts in Mirpur

Workers clash with police, vandalise factories in Mirpur, Dhaka for the demand of better wages once again, read the whole story ...

More than 40 people, including 10 policemen, were injured after thousands of garment workers blockaded a key road in the capital on Wednesday demanding reopening of a factory and better wages.

Owners said a number of factories were shut down on the day after the workers went on a rampage attacking several units, putting up barricades and burning tires on the busy Rokeya Sarani that links northwestern part of the city with the central Dhaka.

Image : ittefaq.com.bd

Police said law-enforcers fired rubber bullets, lobbed teargas shells and used water canons to disperse unruly workers. They brought the situation under control after four hours of sporadic street battles.

Police said the trouble began at about 8:15am after workers of Outright Fashion Ltd in Shewrapara, who came to join their duties, saw a closure notice hanging at the main gate.

The workers, angered by the closure notice, called workers of the adjacent factories using loudspeaker to join the protest that spread to all of the factories along a five-kilometer stretch of road in the Kafrul and Mirpur areas, a sub-inspector of Kafrul police station told the FE.

"There were tens of thousands of workers on the street holding protest rallies over wage hike and reopening of the closed factory," he said, adding 10 policemen, including officer-in-charge of Kafrul Police station Delwar Hossain, were injured in the skirmish.

The police officer said the workers hurled brickbats and stones on them seconds after they barred the protesters from using the loudspeaker.

Protestors alleged the factory was to reopen Wednesday morning after a four-day closure following the labour unrest over non-payment of annual increment in time. "We'll not accept the closure notice. We'll prevent the illegal move at any cost," a worker of the factory said.

An official of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said nearly 25 factories at the troubled zone stopped operation for the day for fear of more vandalism.

Traffic movement on Rokeya Sarani at Kafrul was disrupted for nearly four and a half hours following the violent protest that hit the city after days of violence in Ashulia industrial belt last week.

The agitating workers calmed down as local lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Mazumdar urged them to stop demonstration and assured them of settling the issue after talks with the owners.

The workers' unrest is the latest in a series of violent protests over low wages that jolted the country's highest foreign currency earning sector for the last several months.

Last week hundreds of factories in Ashulia industrial zone, 25 kilometers away from the capital, were briefly shut down following days of violent protests, which owners said created panic and anarchy.

News: The Financial Express

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BGMEA shuts all garment units in Ashulia as Violence Flares

Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Monday decided to keep all garment factories at Ashulia closed for an indefinite period from today (22 June, 2010). 

200 hurt as RMG workers run amok; 50 vehicles damaged; 30 factories ransacked; five arrested

You can also see our earliest post on Garments Workers New Demand.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting last night after violent demonstrations by garment workers at Ashulia all day in which more than 100 people, including 12 police men were injured, 20-25 vehicles were vandalised and the highways linking Ashulia, including Nabinagar-Kaliakoir, Ashulia-Tongi and EPZ-Abdullahpur, were blocked from 2:00pm to 6:00pm.

‘We have decided to keep the factories at Ashulia shut for an indefinite period after the owners were forced to close at least 200 factories on Monday in the face of workers unrest,’ BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy told New Age after the meeting that was also attended by garment factory owners from Ashulia.

Image: The Daily Star

The factories at Ashulia will remain closed until the situation improves and the government ensures law and order and good working atmosphere at the factories there, he said.

The clashes erupted at about 8:00am when police charged into several thousand garment workers staging demonstrations for the third consecutive day demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 5,000.

The workers fought pitched battles with police as the law enforcers fired tear gas, used water cannons and charged baton to disperse them. The workers hurled stones at police in retaliation.

More than 100 garment workers and 12 police personnel, including Savar police sub-inspector Aminul Islam, were injured and 25 factories and as many vehicles damaged.

The injured were taken to local hospitals and clinics.

Police brought the situation under control by the evening.

At least 25 garment factories, including Ananta Garments, Ochine Gate and Shade Fashion Ltd at Narasinghapur, Meghna Apparels, Envoy Garments and Universe at Jamgara and Skyline and Pearl Garments at Palashbari were ransacked during the clashes. Some markets, including Sameer Plaza and Bhuiyan Market in Jamgara area were also ransacked.

The atmosphere at Ashulia started heating up since June 18, when supervisors of a factory assaulted a woman worker during a work stoppage for pay hike.

The agitating workers said on Monday they had no way but to take to the streets as the owners refused to increase their wages and shut down a number of factories.

Till Monday evening, three cases were lodged with the Ashulia police station – two against 180 people on charge of attack on factories and the other against 200 unnamed people, police said.

The police so far arrested two workers.

The police said NASA Group’s administrative officer Yousuf Majumder filed a case against 59 named and 80 unnamed workers with the Ashulia police on Friday.

The second case was filed by the same group’s official Gofran Ali against 11 named and 30 unnamed workers after Saturday’s clash.

The Ashulia police officer-in-charge, Sirajul Islam, said the police filed the third case against about 200 unnamed workers in connection with attack on vehicles and law enforcers on Sunday.

Sources said the workers demanded Tk 6,200 in their minimum wage, which is now Tk 1,662 as set in 2006. The owners offered the workers only Tk 1,887. 

News: New Age on 22 June, 2010

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