Business Report :
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is not going to invoke the ‘no work, no pay’ policy and have decided to keep factories open from tomorrow amid labour protests.
BGMEA Senior Vice President Abdullah Hil Rakib said that the decision was taken at a meeting of factory owners with the army and police at a factory of Hamim Group in Ashulia on Saturday (7 September).
He said it was decided in the meeting that from tomorrow, 20-25 members of the law enforcement agencies will be on duty at factories which remained closed today or were forced to close even after reopening due to unrest.
Regarding some factory owners’ demand of invoking the ‘no work, no pay’ policy, the BGMEA senior vice president said they are not taking that decision considering the welfare of the workers as a whole and are trying their best to keep the factories open from tomorrow.
Highlighting the improvement of law and order situation after the start of joint operation of police and army in the industrial areas, Rakib said there was no outsiders’ nuisance in the industrial areas today, due to which they hope that the situation will return to normal from tomorrow.
Earlier on Saturday, at least 17 RMG factories in the Ashulia industrial zone declared holiday amid protests by the workers.
On 2 September, army and police initiated a joint operation in the industrial zones of Savar, Ashulia, and Gazipur to restore order after more than a hundred apparel factories were forced to shut down, with some being attacked by outsiders and protesting workers over various demands.
Despite the start of joint operations, unrest and closure of factories continued.
In a media briefing on 4 September, BGMEA President Khandoker Rafiqul Islam said the unrest has been largely fueled by external groups, with only minimal internal issues within the factories.
“These outsiders present significant challenges to the smooth operation of the factories,” he said.
Meanwhile, labour leaders believe they do not have much representation in the talks that are taking place between the BGMEA and stakeholders.
Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of Bangladesh Garments and Sweater Workers’ Trade Union Centre,said, “Representation of labour leaders in the talks has to be increased, as regional leaders often convey the demands made by workers to the authorities.”