Wage talks fail to calm RMG unrest

Violence, road blockades and attacks by masked individuals have increasingly overshadowed the ongoing garment workers’ wage movement, raising concerns about the involvement of unwanted elements in industrial unrest even as employers and workers’ representatives have agreed on a timeline for implementing a revised pay structure.

More than 50 people, including seven police personnel and four journalists, were injured in clashes in Savar and Ashulia on Wednesday.

Protesters also set fire to a vehicle used by the officer-in-charge of Savar Model Police Station, while a group of masked attackers vandalised a garment factory in Ashulia.

The developments came as the newly constituted minimum wage board agreed to introduce the revised wage structure from December, allowing workers to receive higher salaries from January 2027.

However, the board has yet to determine the new minimum wage or pay rates for different grades.

The protests began in Hemayetpur in the morning, when several hundred workers from factories, including JK Composite Ltd and a unit of AKH Group, gathered before moving towards Padmar Mor around 8:30am, witnesses said.

The workers were demanding a monthly minimum wage of Tk30,000, an end to the blacklisting of workers and the release of those arrested during previous protests.

Tensions escalated around 8:45am when workers and police engaged in a chase at Padmar Mor. The confrontation subsequently turned violent as protesters moved towards the Dhaka-Aricha highway and blocked it near Hemayetpur bus stand around 9:00am.

Protesters set fire to tyres and waste materials on the road, while some hurled brickbats and stones at police. A vehicle used by Savar Model Police Station officer-in-charge Saiful Alam was also set on fire at Padmar Mor.

“The OC was injured after a brick hurled by protesters struck him. He was later moved to a safe place,” said Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain, inspector (investigation) of the police station.

Four journalists were injured during the clashes. They were Raiyan Bin Amin of Ekattor Television, Mohammod Uzzal Hossain of Kalbela, Ahmed Sohan Sirazi of Star News and Niloy Ahmed of Boishakhi Television.

Sohan said the journalists came under attack while recording footage of the clashes. At least 10 protesters were also injured during the blockade.

In Ulail, garment workers clashed with police in several rounds in front of Al-Muslim Group around 10:35am. They blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway and threw bricks and stones at police, prompting law enforcers to fire tear gas to disperse them.

The blockade disrupted traffic along the highway between 9:00am and 10:45am.
In Ashulia, police chased and dispersed garment workers attempting to block the Abdullahpur-Baipail road around 11:00am. At least nine protesters were injured in clashes between the workers and police.

Workers from factories in Nishchintapur and Narsinghpur had stopped working and gathered outside their workplaces before employees from nearby factories joined them.

According to workers, police and labour leaders, employees of two New Age Group factories in Nishchintapur and several Ha-Meem Group factories in Narsinghpur arrived at their workplaces in the morning but refrained from working.

After police arrived, the protesters split into smaller groups and continued rallies at different points along the road.

Meanwhile, 24 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were deployed in key industrial areas of Savar-Ashulia, Gazipur and Narayanganj to maintain order and ensure the security of workers and the general public amid the continuing unrest over wage increases and other demands.

According to a BGB press release issued on Wednesday, five platoons were deployed in Hemayetpur, Ashulia and Baipail in Savar.

Another 13 platoons were stationed at Chowrasta, Bhogra Bypass, Porabari, Masterbari Electricity Area, Telipara, Safipur, Chandra and Kaliakair in Gazipur.

The remaining six platoons were deployed at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Chashara, Jhalukuri Bridge, BSCIC Industrial Area and Kanchpur Bridge in Narayanganj.

Ashulia Police Station officer-in-charge Mohammad Tarikul Islam said workers had left their factories and were holding small rallies at different locations. No violent incident had been reported in the area up to around 2:00pm, he said.

Later in the afternoon, a group of masked individuals wearing helmets and carrying sticks entered Next Collection Ltd in the Sarkar Market area and vandalised the factory.
A security guard was injured, while CCTV cameras, a transport truck and electrical equipment were damaged.

Factory officials said the attack took place after the authorities had declared a holiday and workers had left the premises.

Wage board agrees on implementation timeline
Meanwhile, employers’ and workers’ representatives have agreed to introduce the revised garment wage structure from December, with workers expected to receive salaries at the new rates from January 2027.

The understanding was reached at the first meeting of the newly formed minimum wage board for the garment sector, held at its office in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, on Wednesday.

Babul Akter, the workers’ representative on the board and general secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, confirmed the decision to journalists after the meeting.

He said the revised wage structure would take effect in December, allowing workers to receive their increased salaries from January.

ABM Shamsuddin, a director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the employers’ representative on the board, also confirmed the agreement.

However, the meeting did not determine the new minimum wage or revised pay rates for different grades. Recommendations on the wage structure will be prepared following further discussions.

The current minimum monthly wage for garment workers is Tk12,500. Workers have been demanding an increase to Tk30,000, citing rising living costs and the high prices of essential commodities.

On November 2, Babul Akter urged the wage board to hold consecutive meetings and reach a decision quickly so that workers could receive revised salaries with their January 2027 pay. Wednesday’s agreement came two days after his appeal.

The minimum wage was last revised in December 2023, when it was increased to Tk12,500 from Tk8,000. Under the amended labour law, minimum wages are to be reviewed every three years.

The government formed the six-member minimum wage board on November 1 to determine the revised pay structure. Syed Azad Subhani is its chairman, alongside representatives of employers and workers and an independent member.