The agitating garment workers have called off their demonstration on Wednesday and said they would formally appeal to the owners to reopen the closed factories so that they can return to work.The Garment Sramik Samanya Parishad, a platform of trade unions and federations leading the demonstration, made the announcement after another four factories were shut on Wednesday —- taking the number of closed factories to 59 in the face of a fresh labour unrest demanding a new minimum monthly wage.They workers announced to halt their movement after a meeting with Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan in the chair at Dhaka Reporters Unity building in the capital. Shahjahan Khan is the president of Garment Sramik Samanya Parishad.Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees League (BNGWEL) President Sirajul Islam Rony said, “The situation will be normal soon. We hope the workers will return to work in two or three days.”“The workers are agitating violating the labour rights in the name of trade union and we decided to request the government for identifying the masterminds behind the unfair strike,” he said.Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Md Siddiqur Rahman told daily sun, “The factories will be closed sine die. If the workers want to work peacefully, they have to inform the entrepreneurs. Then we will decide on the opening of the factories.”The factory owners are ready to resume production in their units, but before doing so the workers will have to assure that there won’t be any security risks.The owners of four readymade garment units in Ashulia shut down their factories amid the continuous strike of workers demanding a new minimum monthly wage.Earlier on Tuesday, 55 more factories were also shut amid the fresh movement waged by the workers.On Wednesday morning, ‘Windy Apparels’, a sister concern of Windy Group, has suspended more than 100 workers at its Ashulia factory for vandalism and shut down the unit for an indefinite period.Windy Group’s Administrative Officer AKM Fazlul Hoque said “The names of the suspended workers have been put up on the factory’s notice board. They have been suspended for vandalism and illegally demanding a pay hike.”The factory workers first began to walk off the job on December 12 to press home their 12-point demand which includes a pay hike, leading to a fresh unrest in the RMG sector.The aggrieved workers started agitating inside the factory premises after several days and fought pitched battles with police and vandalised the factory, said sources.“The factory authorities also filed a case with Ashulia police over the unrest, naming 20 employees,” confirmed Dhaka industrial police director Mostafizur Rahman. He also informed that additional police force was deployed in the area.The workers have been demonstrating for over a week now to press home a series of demands including a minimum monthly pay of Tk 16,000.The present monthly salary of Tk 5,300 is considered woefully inadequate by the workers.Factory owners, however, describe the demands as ‘absurd.’ On Tuesday, the BGMEA said 55 owners decided to keep their factories closed after the workers walked out, with a pay cut, until they resume work. At a Tuesday media briefing, BGMEA President Siddiqur Rahman said the workers were agitating for no good reason.Earlier in the day, State Minister for Labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu warned of legal consequences against agitating workers.Following Tuesday’s development, law enforcers intensified patrols in Ashulia from Wednesday morning.A lot of workers came to factories on Wednesday only to find a closure notice at the entrance. Some agitated workers tried to block the road at Shantinagar area at around 11:00 am, but law enforcers dispersed them.Patrols of the local police, industrial police, armed police battalion as well as the BGB were found frequenting the zone.Apart from regular and industrial police, 15 platoons of the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed.Law enforcers were found urging workers not to stage any kind of demonstration and warned them of ‘legal consequences’.Ashulia police OC Mohsinul Quader said that the factories, which have not been declared shut, were in operation.“Fifteen platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh have been deployed to avoid untoward situations in the area,” said BGB Public Relations Officer Mohsin Reza.
