8 garment units vandalised in Gazipur, Savar

Garment workers vandalised at least eight factories in Gazipur and Savar yesterday as they went for agitation to join a rally in the capital to press home for several demands, including a pay hike.
The workers at the Dhaka rally demanded a raise in their minimum monthly salary to Tk 8,000, while other demands include ensuring safety at work, reducing house rent and withdrawing false cases against trade union leaders.
The workers also called upon the factory owners not to sack them for minor offences and ensure their right to form trade unions. Shramik Oikya Parishad, a platform of 52 welfare unions of garment workers, organised the grand rally at Suhrawardy Udyan at 2pm.
Road communication on the Dhaka-Tangail highway remained suspended for more than three hours till 11:30am as the workers came out of their factories to join the rally.
Fearing more vandalism, the authorities of more than 400 garment units shut their production. At least three factories were vandalised at Kaliakoir in Gazipur and five at Jirani Bazar in Savar, according to our correspondents.
The demonstration started in Gazipur as more than 10,000 workers of different garment units in Kashimpur, Konabari and Chandra took to the streets around 8:30am, said Mosharraf Hossain, assistant superintendent of Gazipur industrial police.
Two hours later, the demonstration spread to Savar, on the outskirts of the capital.
The workers of Divine Textile Ltd, Inter-Stop Apparel and Eye-Moon Textile of Gazipur first gathered in the highway in the morning, Hossain said.
Later, workers of other adjacent factories joined the agitators, he said, adding that they vandalised three factories in Kaliakoir.
The protests spread to Savar around 10:30am when the workers of Machigata Sweater Ltd brought out a demonstration on the highway at the Jirani Bazar point.