Garments factory workers on Saturday vandalized several garment factories and demonstrated at Ashulia in Savar, Rupganj in Narayanganj and in Gazipur, demanding wages in accordance with the new wage structure.
At least 30 RMG workers and executives of garment factories were injured in the clashes between them in Gazipur and Rupganj, said police and witnesses.
The New Age correspondent in Savar reported that several hundred workers of five garment factories staged demonstrations at Ashulia on Saturday morning, demanding immediate implementation of the new wage structure which officially comes into effect on 1 November.
Police and witnesses said that the workers of Star link Creation Ltd and DK Group at Jamgora Debnia, Sweaters Ltd and Bandhu Design Ltd at Noroshinghopur and Alfa Patent Ltd in DEPZ began abstaining from work on Saturday morning, demanding wages in line with the new pay structure.
On receiving information, the police rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control after talking with the workers and factory authorities.
Later, the management of Star link Creation Ltd shut down the factory for the day.
Additional policemen and members of the Rapid Action Battalion have been deployed in the area to avert any untoward incident.
Our Gazipur correspondent said that at least 20 workers were injured in clashes between garment factory workers and police at different factories in the district on Saturday.
The workers also went on a strike and vandalized several factories. A factory was closed for three days and another for an indefinite period.
The clash ensued after some officials of New Town Knitwear Company Ltd at Konabari, owned by a Korean citizen, allegedly assailed some workers of the factory when they had gone to demand wages under the new pay structure, said witnesses. At least 12 workers were injured in the attack by the executives. In the afternoon, the authorities closed the factory for three days.
Besides, workers of Multifabs Ltd in Kashimpur went on strike and broke the panes of the factory’s windows, demanding wages according to the new pay structure. They reportedly assaulted two executives of the factory.
Workers of Wakfi Knit Fabrics Garments Ltd, Mayazuddin Textile and Garments of Purba Chandra in Kalaiakoir and Karanic Knit Composite Mills Ltd also demonstrated, demanding wages according to the new pay structure. They vandalized two vehicles and broke the window panes of some factories after a clash with their executives. Additional policemen were deployed in the area.
In Narayanganj the workers of a garment factory blocked the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway for half an hour on Saturday morning and vandalised at least five vehicles, demanding payment of the new wages, said the police.
At least 10 executives of the factory were injured when the workers attacked them in the morning, said the police.
The officer-in-charge of Rupganj thana, Forkan Sikdar, said that hundreds of workers of Robin Tex BD Ltd, located in Bhulta Gausia village in Rupganj upazila of the district, went to the factory at about 8:00am and started demonstrating instead of working.
Vehicular movement on the busy highway remained suspended for half an hour from 10:00am, said the police official, adding that the agitated workers removed the barricades when the police assured them that their demands would be met after consultation with the factory owner.
