The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Garment workers in the city's different industrial belts staged demonstrations on Friday rejecting the just announced new pay scale of Tk 3,000 instead of demanded Tk 5,000.

The agitated hundreds of workers took to the streets in the morning and vandalised some banks and shopping malls at Gulshan, and damaged a number of vehicles at Tejgaon area. They also set on fire a private car and a motobike.

Amid the rampage, traffic from Satrasta to Mohakhali crossing road, Bijoy Sarani, Tejgaon Link Road, Gulshan Link Road and Gulshan circle-1 halted for several hours. The agitation continued from 8:30 am to around 12:45 pm.

Police said there are some 400 garment factories in Gulshan-Mohakhali area, of which most of the workers took to the streets. Traffic on these roads again came to a halt until the police baton charged the agitated workers.

Deputy Commissioner of Gulshan Zone Hafiz Akhtar told reporters that police could not go for action against the RMG workers destruction due to the preliminary test of the 30th BCS examinations in three centres at Gulshan and Mohakhali.

The government Thursday announced Tk 3,000 as the minimum wage for readymade garment factory workers, nearly doubling the amount from Tk 1,662.50, although the labour side stuck to their guns for a higher pay.

Following the declaration, three labour organizations-- Garment Sramik Oikya Parishad, Jatiya Sramik Jote and Garment Sramik Jote-- rejected the pay structure and asked the authorities to reconsider it.

Police arrested about 20 RMG workers from the spot on allegation of damaging property and destroying vehicles.

Meanwhile, security measures were beefed up in the apparel industrial hub in Savar and Ashulia areas in the wake of Friday's labour unrest in the capital.

Police, armed police and RAB were put on alert there to tackle the situation.

Despite Friday being weekly holiday, many factories in Ashulia remained open. Additional police were deployed in front of the factories while water cannons also kept ready.

Earlier on Thursday, Savar and Ashulia industrial zones were wrapped in security blankets following the announcement of the new wage structure.

Around 5,000 workers of AM Design in Jamgara and New Age Limited in Nishchintapur area went on work abstention demanding Tk 5,000 as minimum wage and restoring other allowances. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haque on Friday afternoon said police would show zero tolerance for vandalism of vehicles and destruction of public properties by demonstrating garment workers.

Speaking at a press briefing at its headquarters in the wake of the protests across the city, the DMP chief said some of the workers' leaders are instigating violence in the garments sector and police have intelligence reports about them.

"Cases will be filed on Friday in connection with the violence and the leaders who are behind all these will be implicated. We will not spare them," Shahidul said.

"We have no options other than taking a tough stand in this regard," the DMP commissioner added.

Haque said vandalism and deterioration of law and order had taken place at Moghbazar, Mohakhali, Gulshan and Tejgaon in the capital.

He also urged the garment workers not to fell into 'traps' of the conspirators, who are trying to ruin the industry.

The top police officer also hinted about sabotages behind all these incidents.

"A quarter will want to take advantage of the situation, for that we can not rule out the chances of sabotages," he said.

Dr Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, told the Voice of America that huge rise in living costs in the last four years is hurting workers.

"The workers real wages had gone down because of the price hike, and so there was a genuine demand," Rahman said.

While talking to the BBC, Mosharefa Mishu, president of an organisation of the garment workers, termed the new wage scale as irrational. She alleged that the wage board was formed excluding real persons who represent the garment workers.

Habibur Rahman, labour affairs secretary of Awami League, who was a member of the wage board, denied the allegation of Mishu and said the declared wage scale was a success of the workers.

He opined that the workers should accept the decision instead of opposing it.