Cases filed against 60,000 RMG workers
ET Report

Garment sector witnessed a major setback as violence suspended production at factories at Ashulia in the last week but the RMG units were later reopened. The police have filed a case against 60,000 unidentified readymade garment workers over Tuesday's unrest at Ashulia in Savar on the outskirts of capital Dhaka. Ashulia police sub-inspector Mostofa Kamal said that his colleague Ahmed Manzur filed the case with the station.
The case accused the workers of hurling brickbats at on-duty policemen and damaging factories on Tuesday, after all factories were closed at Ashulia on Monday, he said. No one, however, has yet been arrested.
Severe clashes between RMG workers and the police left over 100 injured on Tuesday after the workers began demonstrating for reopening of factories, among other issues. Authorities closed their factories on Tuesday in the face of worker protests. Workers have been demonstrating for a few months for a minimum wage of Tk 5,000, roughly $72, per month. Their current minimum wage of Tk 1,662.50, nearly $24, was fixed in 2006.
Garment factories in Ashulia, however, reopened on Wednesday morning after a day's closure and workers returned to work on schedule.
Policemen have been deployed in front of the factories that were vandalised on Tuesday.
RAB and police patrol have also been intensified around the area as an extra precaution. Meanwhile, workers of a readymade garment factory at Ashulia stayed off work and demonstrated on Thursday, a day after the owners reopened factories on the fringe of the capital after a meeting with the government.
Around 1,150 workers of Ocean Gate Sweater Factory in Palli Bidyut area of Ashulia stopped work on Thursday morning demanding release of two of their colleagues arrested in a case filed by the management.
Under pressure from the workers, Ocean Gate management arranged the release of the two-Emdadul Haque and Anwar Hossain-at around 10:30am. They were arrested on Wednesday midnight for vandalising the factory on June 13. The workers, however, continued the agitation after their release putting forward another eight-point demand including rise in minimum monthly wage to Tk 5,000. They got back to work at noon when the management agreed to meet half of their demands.
Situation in other factories in Ashulia, where a large number of police and RAB personnel were deployed, was peaceful.
A parliamentary watchdog on Thursday urged the government to liberally handle the case against readymade garment workers who ransacked vehicles and carried out arson attacks in Ashulia on Monday.
Labour leaders have demanded a monthly minimum wage of Tk 5000 for labourers and workers.
The Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP), a national platform of labourers and workers, made the demand at a roundtable discussion on minimum wage and poverty in the city.
Addressing the discussion, Wajedul Islam Khan, SKOP coordinator and central general secretary of the Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra, said that the minimum wage should be such that labourers and their families may lead a decent life. "The minimum wage should Tk 5,000 in the context of the present situation." Roy Ramesh Chandra, general secretary of the National Sramik League, the labour wing of the ruling Awami League, delivered the keynote on the issue and termed the present wages very low.
He also said that the price hike of the essential commodities has been eroding the buying capacity of labourers and workers.
"They are leading miserable lives."
Ramesh Chandra said that given the situation, thousands of children from these families were compelled to take up begging.
"Or they become child labourers."
He also urged the government to provide cheaper and subsidised essential commodities like rice and cooking oil through open market sales for garment workers, fishermen, rickshaw-pullers, day-labourers and farmers.
Zafrul Hasan, secretary general of Jatiyabadi Sramik Dal, labour wing of the main opposition BNP, said that the government should fix minimum wages in such a manner that the interests of both workers and owners are preserved. Jatiya Sramik Jote president Abdul Kader Howlader, Mukto Sramik Federation general secretary Mojibur Rahman Bhuiyan and Sramik Front secretary general Razekuzzaman Ratan also addressed the meeting.