Unmet demands fuel labour unrest

Holding unmet demands responsible for the latest spell of worker agitation in garment manufacturing belts, labour leaders have called for an immediate implementation of the 18-point demand agreed on at a tripartite meeting last week.

While meeting Labour and Employment Ministry Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman at the Secretariat yesterday, the union leaders also underscored issues like withdrawing cases against workers over factory vandalism and stopping worker abuses over involvement in agitation for bringing full calm to the local apparel sector. 

At the meeting, the labour secretary said most of the demands by the union leaders can be met by December, but some points may take time.

After weeks of labour unrest severely hurting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, a tripartite committee comprising factory owners, the government and workers adopted the 18-point demand on September 24.

The workers' key demands included implementing the existing minimum wage in all factories and settling all outstanding payments. Additionally, workers sought to raise attendance bonuses by Tk 225, night shift bonuses by Tk 10 and tiffin allowance by Tk 10.

The September 24 adoption brought normalcy to most of the manufacturing units. However, fresh labour agitation emerged on Saturday this week.

Yesterday, some 11 factories were closed under (13)1 of the labour law, meaning "no work, no pay", at Ashulia and six more declared a general holiday to avoid labour unrest.

"Some of the factory owners have not implemented the 18-point demand yet, and this is why the unrest is now taking place," Babul Akhtar, general secretary of Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, said at yesterday's meeting.

He said bad behaviour of the mid-level management and worker abuse at factories are also major reasons behind the unrest.

Akhtar dismissed the demand for Tk 25,000 minimum monthly salary, saying it is not from any federation.

At the meeting, some other labour leaders also complained about torturing the workers by the mid-level managers, prompting the labour agitation. 

Kutub Uddin Ahmed, former president of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC), said they have already resolved 18 points of demand and there is a gap of communication in disseminating the information about it.

He suggested expansion of the zonal crisis management committees soon.

He said, "Beating and torturing is not a solution, as it is a sensitive sector. There are no trade unions in big factories and this is why more unrest is taking place there."

He said owners are more responsible for the unrest, as hiring goons to punish workers needs to be stopped.