Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has instructed its member factories to refrain from recruiting new workers amid ongoing unrest in the sector.
During a meeting at BGMEA’s office in the Uttara area in Dhaka on Thursday night, the factories were asked to display a banner, bearing the words ‘no recruitment’, at their gates, according to local newspapers.
The violence-hit factories were advised to file cases at nearby police stations with the submission of photos and videos as evidence. The trade body also asked its members to forward copies of the cases to its senior additional secretary.
The owners of the factories were instructed to follow Section 13(1) of the labour law if workers refrain from performing their duties. The section of the law includes a ‘no work, no pay’ provision.
Over the past two weeks, the garment workers have been agitating to press home their demand for a minimum wage of Tk 23,000. The unrest in the RMG hubs led to a temporary closure of many factories.
On Tuesday, the Minimum Wage Board formed by the government for the export-oriented industry framed new wage structure at its 6th meeting with the presence of sector stakeholders.
The board fixed garment workers’ minimum wage at Tk 12,500 on an increase of 56.25 per cent over the present monthly pay.
