3rd-party behind factory unrest

RMG on doldrums

Staff Correspondent: Two young women were peeping at the gate of a garment factory closed on Monday in Mandal market area of Ashulia in Savar. Sumaiya and Khadija, both ‘Souls of Harihar’. A village house of two people in the rush of Sirajganj. He has been knocking on the doors of each factory for several days for a job. Sumaiya said that she used to work in a factory called S-21 in Ashulia. After getting sick, she left his job and went to her village. After recovering, Ashulia returned 15 days ago and saw unrest in the garment factory. Workers are yet to get jobs anywhere due to protests. So, you are worried about running the household expenses. Many people like these two young women are in danger due to labor unrest.
There is still labor dissatisfaction in Ashulia over demands. Especially the factories in Ashulia’sYarpur Union, there is a lot of unrest. Yesterday also the whole area was at a standstill. 79 factories were closed. There are various reasons behind the ongoing protests by suddenly bringing forward various demands. After talking to workers, owners, political leaders, local residents and law enforcement officers in Ashulia yesterday, it is known that various groups of ‘beneficiaries’ are behind it. Some of the factory attacks involved foreigners. After seeing the CCTV footage, the owners say that the workers in their factory were not involved in the attack. Many people say that there is a dispute over the exchange of fake business in the changed situation. They are creating new spheres of influence by creating instability in factories. In the last two weeks, several groups have clashed in Ashulia over fake business.
Vandalism, attacks, looting and clashes with law and order forces have been taking place in Ashulia for some time now. The workers are leaving after attending some factories. The owners are worried about the negative impact on the industrial sector due to continued chaos. BGMEA, factory owners, administration people are holding a series of meetings to solve this problem quickly.
Various accounts in background
A garment factory called Alif Village in Ashulia was extensively vandalized and looted on Sunday. Went there yesterday and saw that the machinery in the factory was destroyed.
Medical Centre, Sub-Station Room and Fire Control Room destroyed. The authorities could not confirm when the factory can be opened. Alif Village Executive Director Farid Ahmed said that there were two attacks on Sunday morning. We were hiding in the bathroom out of fear. We are still scared. Law enforcement personnel arrived long after the attack. Those who attacked the factory are not our workers.
A resident of Ashulia said on condition of anonymity that many of those who are attacking the factory are children and teenagers. Again people from one area are going to another area to create chaos. Many rickshaw and van drivers are involved in the attack. If these drivers are not in trouble, why would they engage in such attacks? According to him, some third party is trying to provoke the workers. He raised the question that what can the rickshaw-van drivers have to do with increasing the facilities in the factory?
Thousands of ex-workers of a factory called Nanny Fashion joined together and formed a human chain in the old EPZ area of Savar yesterday. The factory was closed four years ago. Some people are finding it unusual to join together after so many years to demand a month’s salary arrears.
Apart from this, the dispute over fake business is also a reason behind the unrest in Ashulia – say the concerned. For the past 15 years, Awami League leaders and activists have been controlling fraud in most factories. After the fall of the government, many of them have been covered. Some don’t want to leave the business while being ‘on the run’. But now BNP activists want to take control of Jhoot business. In the meantime, there has been a clash between two groups of BNP in EPZ over this control. Zillur Rahman, convenor of Ashulia police station volunteer team, was seen carrying out the ‘Peaceful Stand’ program with his leaders and activists yesterday. He claimed that Awami League leaders and activists are still doing false business. We want to address the ongoing unrest in the garment sector first. Most of the demands made by the workers are baseless. Two days ago, Awami League leader Kabir Sarkar kicked out former city mayor of Dhaka North Atiqul Islam’s factory ‘B Rose’. Our people were not close to these for 15 years. Now if someone starts, he will not fight. I have heard of fights between two sides in EPZ over fake business. According to him, Yarpur Union Chairman Suman Bhuiyan, Union Jubo League President Nurul Amin Sarkar, Ashulia Thana Jubo League Convener Kabir Sarkar are still involved in the fraud business in Ashulia. Apart from this, some are talking about a UP member named Rajan. As they were absconding, their statement could not be taken regarding the complaint. However, several factory authorities say that a new party is trying to show its importance to the owners by maintaining instability in the factory in the changed situation. They want new control over the old ones. The new party has already called various factory authorities and demanded to give them fake business.
Meanwhile, some labor leaders have demanded the establishment of trade unions in factories. However, according to some of the owners, the precedent of trade unions in factories in Bangladesh has not brought anything good. So, they are not in favor of this proposal.
Workers’ demands
Ashulia has come to know that there is no unified platform for the demands that the workers are protesting this time. Owners’ representatives say that any previous labor strike had specific demands. They feel that one side is worsening the situation by leaning towards ‘unreasonable’ demands instead of specific demands. The workers of each factory are making different demands. Again some claims are identical.
Al-Muslim Apparels Limited has been closed for some days. The demands of the factory workers include that all the officers and employees should be given pay slips by 1st and salary by 5th. They have demanded minimum attendance bonus of Tk 1000 per month. 70% male and 30% female in recruitment. They want 100 percent of basic salary for two Eids. 15 percent increment every year. If an officer-employee dies, his body will reach home at the company’s own responsibility. In case of pregnancy leave will be four months. Apart from this, he said to pay the holiday money in advance. Attendance bonus cannot be deducted when the leave is passed. Eid holiday will be minimum 12 days. If the service age is 5 years, if he is terminated for any reason, the company will be obliged to pay service benefits. If the employee is sick, the company will bear the cost of his treatment. An agitating worker cannot be fired.
Apart from Al-Muslim, the workers of several other factories are bringing forward various demands. Roshan Farooq, a worker at Al-Muslim, said that tiffin bills are paid in cash in several nearby factories. Our factory supplies bread-bananas. Attendance bonus 300 rupees per month. Workers demand to increase it. Never had a problem with Al-Muslim before. If some logical demands are met, the current problem will also be solved. The workers of another factory called Deco Design Limited have 17 points in their demand – not to be pressured to increase production unreasonably. 18 days holiday pay per annum. Tiffin bill after 7 pm 60 taka and night bill Tk 100. Attendance bonus is 1000 rupees.
Apart from this, several factory authorities visited Ashulia yesterday and held a coordination meeting with the officials and employees of their institutions. They take an oath to protect their factories. The names of the officials to be fired are written by workers pasting papers in front of some factories. The workers claimed that these officials did not behave well with the workers. In front of the NASA group is seen hanging a notice that the factory authorities have already met the demands of the workers. It is written there – Attendance Bonus (Operator) Tk 700, Helpers Tk 600 increased. Salary will be paid by 7th. Increments will be given during the year.
Comprehensive security
There was heavy security across Ashulia throughout the day yesterday. Members of the joint forces are seen patrolling. Top officials of law and order forces visited the site yesterday. According to some of the owners, some are taking advantage of the broken morale of the police. Many factory owners complained that the police did not take strict measures to resolve the workers’ dissatisfaction. In this regard, Superintendent of Industrial Police-1 Mohammad Sarwar Alam said, if there is a problem in 3-4 factories together, how will the police cooperate immediately? There is a shortage of police vehicles. And using force is not always possible to control the situation.