Garments Sramik Odhikar Andolan, a platform of 12 labour rights organisations, and Garment Labour Front on Friday jointly demanded immediate reopening of the closed apparel factories along Ashulia industrial belt and unconditional release of the arrested labour leaders. While holding separate rallies in front of National Press Club in the morning, the two organisations also demanded Tk 16,000 as minimum gross wage a month. Rafiqul Islam Pathik, coordinator of the Garments Sramik Odhikar Andolan, said that they had been peacefully demanding a hike in their minimum wages as the existing wages were not enough to live a decent life. He argued in favour of their demand, saying that the wages of the seamstresses were not increased in the last several years though house rents, water bills and prices of all essentials had spiralled. Pathik threatened of waging tougher movement against the industry owners, if they do not accept their demands and re-open the shut factories, immediately. Vice-president of Garment Labour Front Khalequzzaman Lipon alleged that the factory owners illogically shut down their factories, terminated some of the workers and harassed them by filing false cases against them. He said if the factory owners continue to suppress the workers, it would eventually intensify labour movement.Lipon demanded immediate release of their arrested leaders Soumitra Kumar Das and others arrested in the wake of recent movement. He urged the government and the industry owners to sit for talks with the apparel workers and their leaders to announce a new wage board and resolve the current crisis. The apparel workers have been demonstrating since December 11, demanding their minimum gross wage to go up to Tk 16,000. Terming workers’ demands illegal, authorities of 85 factories on Tuesday and Wednesday announced closure of their units under Section 13(1) of the Labour Act for an indefinite period. Following the closure, authorities of three garment factories on Wednesday also filed three cases with Ashulia police station against 1,500 workers on charge of vandalism, looting, threatening other workers and assaulting factory officials. An Ashulia police sub-inspector also filed another case against 50 people on charge of instigating labour unrests. In a statement, Bangladesh Garment Sramik Sanghati demanded release of the workers who were arrested recently and withdrawal of the cases against them, reopening the factories. It also demanded fixing minimum wage at Tk 10,000.
