RMG protesters return to work
Production resumed in three of five units in Dhaka Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and in two units of 13 in Chittagong EPZ yesterday, as workers returned to some factories, a day after violent clashes.
The latest bout of violence over wage grievances left four dead and 200 others injured in Chittagong, Dhaka and Narayanganj on Sunday.
The workers returned to jobs after factory owners assured them of full benefits from the new pay scale and paying out the arrears for November.
But the day was marked by violence in other areas. Workers at readymade garment factories in Gazipur and at Uttara EPZ in Nilphamari walked out of their workplace to protest the alleged anomalies in the implementation of the new minimum wage.
As the first course of action, the government last night decided to form a tripartite steering committee comprised of representatives of the government, owners and workers to oversee the implementation of the new pay scale.
Aminul Islam, chief inspector of factories (CIF), will head the committee, said Munnujan Sufiana, state minister for labour and employment, after a meeting at BGMEA Complex with the leaders of Bangladesh Garments Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufactures and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and various workers' unions.
Sufian said representatives of different ministries including labor, finance, and chairman of wage board etc; leaders of BGMEA and BKMEA and two representatives from workers would be the members of the tripartite committee.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told authorities to identify those involved in the unrest and take stern actions against them. She also warned ministers and state ministers to remain alert to possible conspiracies to create unrest in the nation's top-earning sector.
Home Minister Sahara Khatun told the meeting that outsiders, not the garment workers, were involved in the vandalism.
Police filed four cases accusing some 33,000 people in connection with the RMG violence in Chittagong and Dhaka. Three cases were filed with Bandar Police Station in Chittagong against more than 25,000 people while another with Khilkhet Police Station in Dhaka against 3,000.
Korean-owned Youngone Ltd restarted production at two factories and expects all 11 of its units to operate again by tomorrow. The company was at the centre of the disruptions.
Sikder Mesbahuddin Ahmed, director operations of Youngone Corporation, said workers who did not get the new wage would be compensated in a month: "We will include the workers under the newly introduced pay scale those who were left out. The group will also pay the arrears to those workers, which will be disbursed in the next month."
Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA) Executive Chairman Brig Gen Zamil Ahmed Khan and Chittagong EPZ General Manager Abdur Rashid said production resumed at 148 factories in the morning. Ten other factories will start operating today.
The workers returned to the factories with an assurance of full implementation of salary under the new pay scale, said Mohammad Abdullah, managing director of Nassa Group in Dhaka.
"I agree that there were some mistakes in the calculations of salaries in the first month's payment under the new pay scale," Abdullah said. "But the management will adjust the salary within the next seven days, so that, the workers can receive proper remuneration."
He said three factories out of 34 units of the group were affected by the latest labour unrest.
A worker of the Kimia Apparels Ltd, a unit of Nassa Group at the city's Joar Shahara area, said the workers returned to the factory with an assurance of a proper salary by the management.
"Implementation of the government approved wage structure and increasing the salary of the senior workers at the same proportion of the junior workers are our demands," said a sewing operator requesting anonymity.
Police said 31 people who were arrested during Saturday's violence in the port city were among the thousands accused.
In Dhaka, sub-inspector Abdul Awal filed a case against 3,000 people, but only 16 persons by name, on charges of rioting, vandalism, blocking roads and obstructing police on Airport Road at Kuril. Among those named, four are women and seven were arrested during the clash.
Four people, including a garment worker and a rickshaw-puller, were killed during recent clashes between police and RMG workers in and around the EPZs.
The disgruntled workers damaged 11 garment factories and 20 roadside buildings, leading to the closure of the entire CEPZ. They set five vehicles ablaze and damaged 90 more.
Meanwhile, officers of the Detective Branch of police have picked up a labour leader from her home in Dhaka early today.
Moshrefa Mishu, president of Garments Workers Unity Forum, was led away to the DB Headquarters for interrogation around 12:45am, her sister Jebunnesa Jebu told The Daily Star over the phone.
Jebu said as many as 12 officers -- one in uniform -- carried out the raid on the labour leader's Bhuter Gali home in Kalabagan.
Jebu said the officers did not show any arrest warrant, neither did they explain why her sister was being led away.
Kalabagan police were not aware of the arrest.
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