After the large-scale workers’ agitation that hit the Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector in the beginning of this year, there were reports of workers of a Gazipur-based factory taking to the streets on Sunday (February 10) blocking the busy Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for almost an hour to press home their demands.
As per media reports, the workers of Evince Textiles Limited blocked the road and staged demonstrations demanding salary hike and other facilities.
As per the aggrieved workers, the factory authorities are allegedly not paying the helpers’ salaries as per their previous declaration.
“We pay Taka 6,354 to each helper as per rules, but they are demanding Taka 8,300. They are demanding other facilities also. We are trying to discuss the matter and convince them,” reportedly stated Md Jiahadul Islam, General Manager of the factory, speaking to the media.
Meanwhile, confirming the workers’ protest, Inspector of Joydevpur Police Station Md Ali Jinnah reportedly maintained that workers of the factory staged work abstention and blocked the highway around 8.30 in the morning, and only lifted the blockade after an hour or so following assurance from the factory authorities to look into their demands.
It may be mentioned here that Bangladesh earlier this year witnessed a major workers’ unrest in protest against what the workers alleged discrepancy in the new wage structure.
The more than a week long agitation, which hit production work hard, forced the Government to look into the allegations and assure amending the wage structure accordingly.