The New Nation - Internet Edition

It is reported in the press that workers in Savar industrial zone ransacked fifteen garment factories on Sunday. They were agitating over the non-payment of arrear wages by the owners of those factories. Workers of the Polonia Garment Factory in Jamgara area, on arrival in the morning, found that owners of the factory had closed the main gate. The owners earlier reportedly, made commitment to pay the workers on Sunday.

The law enforcing agencies came to the scene for containing the spread of agitation to different factories. Some clashes between the police and the workers occurred during the agitation by workers, who tried to block the Dhaka-Tangail highway and created problems for movement of passengers and goods for hours. The incidents have virtually furnished the image of the industrial belt that so far encouraged local and foreign investors to set up garment factories.

It is worth noting that some quarters, seem to have insisted upon proper action, to be taken by owners of garment factories, to meet the demands of workers. Security of economic resources, including factories and establishments in the country, has to be kept above anything else. They may consider the creation of industrial intelligence agencies, that would monitor the work of the workers and their trade unions as well as the affairs of the owners of factories and business houses. Such agencies would be able to help nip industrial disputes before they take a violent turn.

The repeated agitation by workers in garment factories are undesirable. The workers and the employers, with necessary help from official agencies, should work dispassionately for removing problems. The damages done to the fifteen factories are quite heavy. Similar incidents of agitation by workers occurred also in the past.