If work stoppages, labour unrest, workplace disorder, demonstrations, and incidents of vandalism at factories continue, garment factory owners may decide to shut down their factories under Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006.
Factory owners have reached an in-principle decision on this matter.
Against the backdrop of labour unrest and production disruptions in industrial areas, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has called an emergency special general meeting for Saturday (November 14).
The issue was initially discussed at an emergency meeting held on Wednesday (November 11) at the organisation’s office in Uttara, Dhaka, chaired by BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan.
Speaking after the meeting, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said, “It is unacceptable for wage negotiations to continue while vandalism and disorder at factories also persist.”
He said the situation would be monitored until Thursday (November 12). If there is no visible improvement by then, a final decision will be made at Saturday’s emergency meeting regarding factory closures and participation in the next round of discussions with the Minimum Wage Board.
Asked about the employers’ position at the Minimum Wage Board’s third meeting scheduled for November 16, he said that although a formal proposal had been submitted, the employers were planning not to participate in the discussions.
In his words, “It is not possible to keep employers focused at the negotiating table while they are being kept busy dealing with unrest on the streets.”
Meanwhile, Bablu Akhter, the workers’ representative, responded to BGMEA’s position by saying that no formal strike had been called by the workers’ federations. Nor had anyone instructed workers to engage in violent protests. He alleged that a particular group was exploiting the emotions of ordinary workers to serve its own interests.
He further said that if the employers boycotted the Minimum Wage Board meetings, the decision on finalising the minimum wage would be left to the government.
Those present at Wednesday’s meeting from the business and industrial sectors included FBCCI Administrator Fazlul Haque; former BGMEA presidents Anisur Rahman Sinha, Kutubuddin Ahmed, Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez, Dr Rubana Huq, and Khandaker Rafiqul Islam.
Also attending were Amol Poddar, Senior Vice-President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA); A.B.M. Shamsuddin, the employers’ representative on the Minimum Wage Board; and several garment factory owners from the Ashulia industrial area.
In response to protests by garment workers, the government reconstituted the Minimum Wage Board on November 1.
At the board’s second meeting last Monday (November 9), the workers’ representative submitted a written proposal demanding that the minimum monthly wage be set at Tk 32,000.
However, despite ongoing discussions over wages, labour unrest in industrial areas has not subsided.
According to BGMEA’s latest figures, production was severely disrupted at a total of 156 garment factories in Savar, Ashulia, and Gazipur on Wednesday. Of these, 140 affected factories were located in the Savar-Ashulia area alone.
Meanwhile, workers staged demonstrations throughout Wednesday in Savar and Ashulia, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000 and an end to layoffs.
At one point, when workers attempted to block a highway, clashes involving chases and counter-chases broke out between them and the police. To bring the situation under control, police fired tear gas shells and sound grenades.
The incidents further heightened tensions across the industrial areas.
