Workers continue wage hike strike in Bangladesh
Bangladesh - Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers downed tools and walked out of clothing factories on Monday, refusing to end a week-long strike over wages and rejecting government efforts to end the standoff.
Police said thousands of labourers marched off factory floors for an eighth consecutive day, disrupting Bangladesh’s US$30bn-a-year industry spinning clothes for major western brands.
Unlike previous days, there were no reports of violence. One worker was killed last week after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at some 5,000 protesters.
In Ashulia, near the capital Dhaka, armoured personnel carriers and hundreds of policemen guarded factories in the country’s largest garment hub.
A message broadcast over loudspeakers urged protesters to return to work. ‘A list is being prepared of those who are roam- ing around. No violence will be tolerated’, it said.
As the strike entered a second week on Sunday, the government brokered a deal between unions and manufacturers to end the dispute, agreeing to raise wages for mid-tier tailors.
But some received hikes of little more than 20 taka (US$0.25) a month, angering many tailors who churn out boutique clothing for high-end fashion lines overseas.
“I think the wage hike was unjust,” Ruhul Amin, executive president of the Garment Trade Union Centre, said.
Some workers joining Monday’s protests expressed anger over the heavy-handed police response last week and accused factory bosses of withholding pay from those who joined the strike.
“We’re not getting paid for the last week, that’s why we walked out,” Mitali Begum, another labourer, said.