What's driving the sudden surge in workers' protests at Bangladesh clothing industry?

Different areas see different demands but even labour union leaders are unsure who is behind them

Out of the blue, garment workers are making demands that no one has ever heard before. Take the workers at Sharmin Group in Narsinghpur, Ashulia, for example—they’re now asking for an equal number of male and female workers. Since the garment industry started booming, it's mostly been women working, and there’s never been any issue with that. So, these new demands have taken the people in the industry by surprise.

Although the new wage structure has been in place since January, just seven months later, there are calls for wage increases. The current structure mentions a 5 percent annual wage increase, but now a 15 percent increase is being demanded, which has also never been heard of.

It's not just the garment industry—tension has also arisen in the pharmaceutical industry, where production has gone on smoothly for many years. Workers are raising various demands, and factories are shutting down.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police's Konabari Zone Assistant Commissioner Subir Kumar Saha told bdnews24.com: "There are no specific demands from the workers. Workers in different factories are raising different demands, causing unrest in the industrial area." He also mentioned that in the chaos of protests and demonstrations, there have been attempts to vandalize and loot factories.

After a civil uprising forced the ‘authoritarian’ Awami League out of power on Aug 5, police's capacity has been significantly reduced due to attacks on their personnel. After allegations of excessive force in earlier protests, police are avoiding any further confrontations. In this situation, worker protests have led to considerable disorder.

The protesting workers themselves are confused. However, they continue to move from factory to factory, bringing workers out.

Swapon Chandra Roy, a worker at Nexus Sweater Factory in Vogra, Gazipur, told bdnews24.com: "People identifying as labour leaders come to the factory with groups from outside and make various demands, asking ordinary workers to join their protests. But the workers don't know these so-called leaders." He had never heard of the demand for an equal ratio of male and female workers before.

He added, "They tell us to join protests over wage increases and other old demands. If we don't join, they will start throwing stones and vandalising the factory." Another worker, Md Alamgir Hossain, shared similar statements.

An official from a garment factory in Ashulia said, "We just increased wages recently, and the workers had no demands. So why are they protesting now?"

Md Saiful Alam, president of the Gazipur Metropolitan Committee of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, told bdnews24.com: "During the previous government, our main demands were for workers to receive rations, repeal of the 'black law,' and the establishment of democratic labour laws. But now, they are raising new demands and starting protests." He added, "Demands for increases in tiffin allowances, night shift allowances, and overtime allowances can be discussed with the factory owners inside the factory. Instead, they are coming out onto the streets to protest and block roads."

Superintendent of Industrial Police-1 Md Sarwar Alam said, "We are trying to identify and arrest those causing unrest in the garment industry."

BGMEA Senior Vice President Abdullah Hil Rakib told bdnews24.com: "We are working to stop the workers' protests. They don't have any reasonable or specific demands. We have sat with labour leaders, and they also say there are no specific demands. Still, some are attempting to organize protests. The factories are closed on Friday, so we will see what happens on Saturday."

DIFFERENT DEMANDS IN DIFFERENT PLACES

Sharmin Group, one of the larger garment factories in Ashulia, employs around 20,000 workers. After two consecutive days of attacks on the factory gate, the factory was declared closed. A list of 20 demands has been submitted to the factory authorities, with most of the demands being new to the industry.

For example, one demand is that the company must bear the cost of transporting the body of a deceased worker to their home village. If a worker falls ill while employed, the company must cover the cost of their treatment, and maternity leave payments should be made in advance.

At NASA Group in Narsinghpur, a list with 15 demands was submitted, which included an annual wage increase of 10 percent and 12 days of leave during Eid. However, there was no demand regarding the ratio of male to female workers. After attempts to attack the factory gate, this factory also declared a holiday, and production was disrupted the next day.

At GAB Limited, workers made 10 demands, including the provision of beef twice a week, chicken twice a week, and vegetables twice a week. They also requested a day off for common illnesses like fever or headaches, an annual picnic, and a guarantee of at least 10 years of employment.

It is clear that the demands being raised are uncoordinated across different areas, and factory authorities and police suspect that no one is controlling the workers.

WHY THE DEMAND FOR EQUAL EMPLOYMENT

According to several workers who spoke anonymously, the rising prices of food have outpaced wage increases, making it difficult to run a household on a single income. If both husband and wife work, it becomes easier to manage the household. However, when both apply for jobs, it is usually the woman who gets hired, leaving many male workers unemployed.

This has led male workers to protest outside factory gates, demanding jobs, and the male and female workers inside the factories are supporting them.

Md. Zakir Hossain, managing director of Further Fashion Factory in Vogra Bypass Road, Gazipur, said, "We hire 60 percent female workers because they are more attentive to work and meet the buyers' demands. However, the protesters are demanding an equal ratio of male and female workers. Moreover, many factories have closed due to a lack of orders, and new factories are not being established as before, so hiring has also decreased."

Md Saiful Alam, president of the Gazipur Metropolitan Committee of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, said, "In the past, more men worked in knitting factories. However, with the introduction of Jacquard machines, more work is being done with fewer workers, reducing the number of male workers."

‘OUTSIDERS’ IN FACTORY ATTACKS

Morsheda Begum, a worker at Sharmin Group in Narsinghpur, told bdnews24.com that outsiders attacked the factory last Tuesday, vandalising the factory and pulling out the workers. "The attackers were very young," she said.

Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Sweater Workers Trade Union Center, said: "We have a member of our organisation working at Sharmin Group. They told us that outsiders attacked the factory and incited the workers to come out."

Similarly, labour leader Al Kamran, president of the Swadhin Bangla Garments Workers Federation, said: "We protest for wage increases, but I cannot understand the logic behind the protests by workers from Donglian Fashion (BD) Ltd and NASA Group."

Factory authorities and labour leaders suspect that a group is inciting workers by hiring outsiders to cause unrest.

CONTROL OVER THE JHOOT BUSINESS

One of the underlying causes of unrest in the garment industry is the control over the "jhoot" business—the buying and selling of unused fabric from factories. Historically, this business has been controlled by leaders and activists of the ruling party.

After the fall of the Awami League government, there have been reports of local BNP activists attempting to take control of the jhoot business. At the same time, those who have maintained control for so long are also taking various steps to retain their hold.

Masudur Rahman, the chief of Ashulia Police Station, said: “A group is creating unrest in the Ashulia industrial area to gain control over the jhoot business. Those who controlled the business during the previous government are now hiring outsiders to cause instability in the garment sector.”

Several individuals connected to the garment industry in Ashulia stated that following the government’s fall, new extortionists have emerged. These individuals are trying to keep control of the jhoot business and extortion rackets by inciting workers. Workers, in turn, are attempting to take advantage of the situation.

Many workers have been blacklisted in the worker databases maintained by factory owners, and those workers are now becoming active again. Additionally, though the new wage structure was supposed to be implemented from January, many factories have yet to do so.

Several factories have also left months of wages unpaid, which has fuelled further unrest, according to sources in Ashulia.

Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Workers Trade Union Centre, told bdnews24.com: “During Sheikh Hasina’s government, local MPs Saiful Islam and Murad Jong controlled the jhoot business. Now, these same individuals are becoming active again by aligning with BNP activists, seeking to expand their influence in the industrial areas."

He added, "Now some new extortionists have also become active. These old and new extortionists are stirring up unrest in the garment industry by inciting workers to assert their control and dominance. As labour leaders, we want to organize meetings to explain the situation to ordinary workers, but we currently don’t have the capacity to do so.”

PROTESTS BEYOND THE GARMENT INDUSTRY

In addition to garment workers, employees from various pharmaceutical and shoe factories in Gazipur have also started protesting with a range of demands.

On Aug 31, workers at Square Pharmaceuticals in Gazipur began their movement, raising 21 demands, including grade promotion for permanent employees every two years, six months of maternity leave for female workers, and full wages and allowances during that leave period.

Inspector Saiful Islam of the Gazipur Industrial Police said that Bata Shoe Factory workers began protesting on Sept 3, putting forth eight demands.

These include overtime pay for working 48 hours a week, a minimum base salary of Tk 15,000, a 20 percent annual wage increase, an Eid bonus equivalent to their base salary, and the end to ‘workplace harassment’.

[This report was prepared based on information from bdnews24.com’s Savar Correspondent Selim Ahmed and the Gazipur correspondent]