Work resumes at RMG units amid sporadic unrest

Sayeed Muhammad of DOT : 
The magnitude of unrest in the country’s garments industry came down yesterday after the government announced revised wages and amid threats of factory closure by apparel factory owners. However, turmoil was reported on Dhaka-Tangail Highway in Ashulia’s Jamgora around 9:00am. Workers tried to put up a blockade, reports The Daily Star.
There were workers of at least 10 factories of Hamim Group, Sharmin Group and Envoy Group in the agitation. Industrial police had removed them during initial attempts.
They claimed that their basic salary was not raised as expected, while the authorities shut the factories down following the workers’ agitation yesterday.
Meanwhile, workers of other factories in the area joined their work yesterday morning. Additional police forces were deployed in front of the factories to avert any untoward situation, though.
On Saturday, after nearly one and half months of protests, the government revised the pay structure for the garments industry workers giving a raise between Tk 15 to Tk 786.
This revision was the raise from the new wage board put into effect from December 2018.
The workers began their protest on January 6 over the wage gap.
In September last year, the government raised the minimum monthly wage for RMG workers by around 51 percent to Tk 8,000 from Tk 5,300. The new wage took effect in December.