by Naharnet Newsdesk
Bangladesh garment manufacturers shut down
indefinitely operations of more than 300 factories at a key industrial
hub on Saturday after five days of violent protests over wages,
officials said.
President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and
Exporters Association Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin made the announcement,
saying the plants would reopen only after the government ensures "enough
security".
Most of Bangladesh's big garment factories are based at
Ashulia. They employ around half a million workers who sew clothing for
some of the world's largest retailers such as Wal-Mart, Gap, Tesco,
H&M and Carrefour.
"We have decided to close down more than 300 factories
at Ashulia industrial area indefinitely. We can't operate in this
climate of fear and lawlessness," Mohiuddin told Agence France Presse.
The decision follows the fifth day of protests by tens
of thousands of workers who clashed with police, vandalised plants and
blocked a key highway for hours, senior police officer Monowar Hossain
told AFP.
"Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse
the unruly workers," Hossain said. The violence in the last five days
left scores of policemen and hundreds of protesters injured, police
officers have said.
Employees -- who work 10-16 hours a day, six days a week
for the lowest garment sector wages in the world -- were demanding a 50
percent pay hike and subsidized food to cope with the rising cost of
living.
Union leader Babul Akter Thursday claimed that
manufacturers at Ashulia had agreed to raise wages. Some owners also
announced that they would raise the wages to help workers cope with
increases in rent.
But the BGMEA, which represents all of the country's 4,500 garment factories, denied sealing any deal with the unions.
"It's a lie, total lie. We raised workers salaries by 82
percent just 18 months ago. It's impossible to raise salaries again,"
Mohiuddin said.
In 2010, Bangladesh garment factories were hit by months
of violent protests that forced the government and factory owners to
agree to increase wages by 80 percent, or a minimum $37 per month.
The export of garments, which made $19 billion for the
impoverished country last year, is the mainstay of the economy of
Bangladesh, accounting for 80 percent of its total shipments.
Tensions have been brewing at Ashulia and other textile
manufacturing zones in recent months following the abduction and murder
of a top garment union leader in April.
Unions have accused Bangladesh's feared security forces
of killing him. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton demanded an
independent probe into the incident when she visited the country last
month.
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