Amid worker unrest, 204 factories declare holiday and nine shut indefinitely
Faced with worker unrest running for two straight weeks, 204 factories have declared a holiday. Of them, nine factories have been closed indefinitely under Section 13(1) of the Labour Act, according to a front-page report in Samakal.
The report said worker unrest has been continuing for two weeks in the industrial areas of Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur near Dhaka.
On Thursday, too, workers at many factories marked their attendance and then walked out without working. Despite various efforts by the authorities, they could not be brought back to work.
In this situation, 204 factories declared a holiday. The largest share of them — 137 — are in the Savar and Ashulia industrial areas.
The other nine factories were closed under Section 13(1) of the Labour Act. The section provides for 'no work, no pay', meaning workers will receive no wages for as long as the factories remain closed.
According to the report, if the situation does not improve, many owners may decide from Sunday to close garment factories under Section 13(1).
In response to the situation, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has called a special general meeting (EGM) on Saturday. The report said the next decisions may come from that meeting after an analysis of the situation.
