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Published : 23 Sep 2024, 07:36 PM
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, or BGMEA, has sat for another meeting to determine its course of action as labour unrest in the apparel sector continues for more than three weeks without signs of improvement.
On Monday, the BGMEA called an emergency meeting at its office in Uttara to discuss the ongoing crisis.
The meeting, which began at 5:30pm, included former BGMEA presidents, factory owners, representatives from the army, the Industrial Police, and the members of National Security Intelligence, or NSI.
Since the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5, different groups have been raising demands.
While the overall unrest has subsided somewhat, the apparel sector remains volatile, with workers continuing to protest for various reasons, particularly regarding unpaid wages.
Workers in areas like Savar's Ashulia, Gazipur, and Tongi are reportedly protesting without specific demands.
However, issues of unpaid wages and pay stoppages from various factories have come to light, especially after the recent political changeover.
In a previous meeting on Sept 4, BGMEA resolved several wage-related issues, leading to the reopening of numerous factories.
However, the sector continues to struggle. Joint security forces have initiated operations in response to reports of attacks and vandalism, resulting in the arrest of over 15 individuals.
Despite these actions, no improvement has been noted in the sector.
A meeting on Sept 14, attended by three advisors to the interim government, led to a decision to shut down any factory that experiences unrest, implementing a ‘no work, no pay’ policy.
While there were reports of improvement following this decision, unrest flared up again eight days later, with workers protesting at several factories on Sunday, followed by a deterioration of the situation on Monday.
