Meet demands to stop violence: Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked garment factory-owners to concede workers' demand to end a festering unrest in the export-driven sector.

Hasina felt several labour leaders were instigating the workers' agitation.

“I'm requesting you (RMG owners) to fulfil the demands of the labour leaders,” she said addressing the National Export Trophy 2010-2011 in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Bangladesh is the largest exporter of readymade garment products trailing China. The $20 billion industry has been accused of poor work conditions, lax safety measures and poor pay.

The several workers' bodies have kept up their agitation, although the owners agreed to pay Tk 5,300 as proposed by a government-endorsed Wage Board.

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The government is scheduled to hold an 'emergency meeting' with owners and workers' leaders to defuse the current unrest in the crucial sector.

Hasina felt the workers would be the 'worst hit' in the persisting unrest.

She requested the workers to return to work, saying all the factories were "very busy" meeting supply deadlines ahead of Christmas.

“Your failure to complete the work will not do any good to you or your factory,” she said.

The factories will face closure if orders are cancelled, reminded Hasina, and workers would be rendered jobless.

She said RMG workers' wages had been hiked twice under her government.

“The minimum wage for RMG workers was Tk 1,600 when we came to power.

"We increased it to Tk 3,000 in 2010,” Hasina said, adding she had "forced" the RMG owners to pay more.

“I bargained for the workers. The owners agreed to pay in exchange of several facilities from the government,” she said.

The Prime Minister said she had again pushed the garment owners to raise the minimum wage to Tk 5,300.

She felt the current spell of workers' agitation was 'unnecessary' and 'un justified'.

Hasina underscored a cordial relation between the owners and the workers.