RMG workers protest price hike in the capital

Several thousand readymade garments workers came out of their factories and blocked different streets in the capital's Mirpur area on Saturday afternoon protesting soaring prices of essential commodities.

A bus of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) was vandalised and three motorcycles were torched during the protests.

Following the vandalism, police rounded up some people, said Pallabi police inspector (investigation) Md Ahad Ali.

The workers of RMG factories in Mirpur area came out to streets from Mirpur-10 intersection to Mirpur-14, Mirpur-11 and Kalshi area in the afternoon and blocked roads.

Thousands of workers from MBM Garments Ltd, Saroj, Vision Garment, IDS Group, Kolka Garment, and Dmox took to the street around 2:00pm.

"The workers' demands are different than usual this time. They came out to streets protesting price hike of essential commodities," said Sajedul Haq Rubel, president of Communist Party of Bangladesh Dhaka North City unit.

The protesters demanded that their salaries must be raised or the prices of all essential commodities must decrease.

Protesters blocked roads at Mirpur-10, halting traffic in the Mirpur area, said police.

DMP Mirpur zone additional deputy Commissioner Mahbubur Rahman said that a bus of BGB parked in front of Indoor Stadium at Mirpur-11 was vandalised and three other motorcycles were torched.

No BGB men were present during the vandalism.

Police could not confirm who owns the motorcycles, but locals said that the motorcycles are owned by police.

Protesting workers said that they are in dire condition and cannot afford their livelihood due to increase in prices of essential items.

Workers of several garments also demanded their dues and protested against the abrupt sacking of their colleagues.

ADC Mahbub said that police managed to convince the workers and they withdrew the road blockade around 6:30pm.

"We are yet to confirm who carried out vandalism and torched vehicles during the protest," said the police official.

Inspector Ahad said that they have conducted raids after the vandalism and detained several people.

He did not confirm the number of detained people saying that the raids were on.

Meanwhile, factory owners say the sudden protest, where the workers demanded a pay raise, is a matter of concern.

According to them, the demand for a pay raise should come through a process, not suddenly.

While some labour leaders agree with this stance, others say the agitation may flare up further in the next 10-12 days.

SM Mannan Kochi, senior vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) told TBS that he was not sure about the labour unrest issue.

He even smelled a "conspiracy" behind the sudden workers' protests.

Sirajul Islam Rony, a labour leader, told The Business Standard that there were reports of a row between workers and the owners at the Saroj Garments.

"Some workers were axed, I heard. Later, the termination agitated workers in other factories and they started demanding a pay raise," he said.

He also termed the sudden labour unrest over pay hike "unusual".

However, Towhidur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Apparel Workers Federation, differed to such notion and said, "The labour unrest is caused by the inflation. Similar reports of unrest came from Savar's Ashulia last week. The unrest may further escalate in the coming days." 

According to the existing labour law, workers' wages are reevaluated every five years. The last wage board for the RMG sector was fixed in December 2018 that went into effect from January the following year. 

Towhidur Rahman, pointed out that the labour law allows for a reevaluation of wages in three years' interval should any circumstances demand it.  

"The prices of daily essentials have skyrocketed. It is difficult for the workers to survive with their current pay. Last February, on behalf of the IndustryAll Bangladesh Council, we wrote to the labour ministry to reassess wages of the workers," he added.