RMG workers in Demra, Gazipur, Ashulia agitate for full pay, arrears

At least 20 readymade garment workers were injured as police charged baton and fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets on the workers who were demonstrating for the full month’s wage.

The agitating workers from more than 10 garment factories in Ashulia and Gazipur repeatedly blocked the Dhaka–Tangail and Dhaka–Mymensingh highways to press their demand.

Additional superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police Md Jalal Uddin said that several hundred workers of Luitex Fashion Ltd at Soydana and Doreen Garments Ltd at Panishail, among others, demonstrated for the full wage instead of 65 per cent of it, reported our Gazipur correspondent.

The second Tripartite Consultative Council meeting with the state minister for labour Monnujan Sufian in the chair on May 4 decided that the workers would get 65 per cent of their gross monthly wage for the period of closure.

Earlier on April 29, the government in another tripartite meeting had decided for a 60 per cent wage for the garment workers for the period of closure.

A number of trade unions and labour organisations have been protesting against the partial wage and demanded full wage for the workers.

Police said that the workers of Luitex Fashion went to the factory gate in the morning of Saturday and started demonstrating like Thursday for the 100 per cent wage.

The protesting workers blocked the Dhaka–Mymenshingh Highway disrupting traffic movement on the highway.

As police personnel tried to disperse the workers from the highway by charging baton, they started pelting bricks on the law enforcers.

Ten workers were left injured in the police action, said witnesses.

Another additional superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police Sushanta Sarker said that the workers of Doreen Fashions blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Highway demanding 100 per cent wage.

Workers said that at least 10 workers were injured when police charged baton, opened rubber bullets and tear gas shells to disperse the agitating workers.

The industrial police in Ashulia said that several thousand workers from at least eight garment factories in the industrial belt demonstrated for a full month’s wage.

They said that workers of Tanzila Textile Mills Ltd, Rose Intimates Ltd and Palmal Group factories, among others, demonstrated to press their demand.

Police said that the workers of Envoy Group and AM Design of Sharmeen Group blocked the Baipail–Abdullahpur road for 100 per cent wage.

In Demra, workers of Irin Knitwear Limited at Deailya staged demonstration on the Demra main road demanding their three months’ outstanding wages and against the sacking of a number of workers.

They began the demonstration at about 8:00am, burnt tires and wood on the road.

The demonstration was withdrawn at about 12:00am when police assured the protesters of solving their problem by talking to their authorities, the workers said.

Bangladesh Garment Workers Solidarity in a press statement on Saturday again demanded 100 per cent wage for the workers and protested at terminating workers in this time of coronavirus pandemic and holy fasting.

Meanwhile, the workers of A One Bd Ltd at the Dhaka Export Processing Zone demonstrated for their outstanding pay for four months.

The workers of the factory did not get any wage after January due to ownership problem of the factory while the DEPZ authority took the responsibility of paying the workers.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net