147 garment factories completely closed: BGMEA president

At the briefing, Mahmud Hasan Khan said that some wayward workers inside the factories are regularly creating chaos at the instigation and direction of outside evil quarters; they themselves do not work and also obstruct other workers from working, creating a fearful environment. Even leaving the factories, they gather and throw bricks at the main gates of other factories, forcing the workers there out as well. As a result, 147 factories under BGMEA and BKMEA membership have failed to run full production; of these, 55 factories are already closed under Section 13(1), and the remaining 92 factories, despite attempts to reopen, could not continue production. About 300,000 workers are employed in these factories.

He said that at the request of BGMEA and the government, owners tried their utmost for the last 12 to 14 days but could not keep the factories running. Under labor law, no trade organization can shut down factories unilaterally; owners have said that because the concerned factories lack a safe and production-friendly environment, they are compelled to keep the factories closed from November 15 by exercising their legal right.

Regarding the wage board, the BGMEA president said that even after the minimum wage board was formed, attempts are being made to create such an anarchic situation and put pressure on owners to create a context for announcing unreasonable wages, or there is some other motive behind it. About 1,500 members who participated in the meeting opined that the rationality of discussions at the wage board is questionable unless overall security of the factories is ensured. However, he assured that owners would participate in the wage board meeting on November 16 and submit their proposals.

Noting that labor federations did not play a sufficiently effective role in overcoming the crisis, he said field-level leaders and activists cannot maintain control over ordinary workers. He sought strict government intervention to quickly bring the law-and-order situation in Ashulia, Savar and Gazipur under control; he called on all concerned parties, including owners, workers, the government and the media, to play a responsible role in protecting the industry.