One dead as Bangladesh garment workers clash with police
December 12th, 2010 - 5:07 pm ICT by IANSDhaka, Dec 12 (IANS) A rickshaw puller was killed in Chittagong town and scores were injured Sunday in clashes between police and readymade garment workers at many industrial centres across Bangladesh. The workers were demonstrating for implementation of the new pay scales.Several units declared closure as violence spread in the suburbs of Chittagong and the national capital that house the country’s garment manufacturing units.
There were media reports of several incidents of brickbatting and police firing and truncheon charges to control protestors who allege that the employers have been delaying payment of new wages revised by the government earlier this year.
Readymade garment and knitwear manufacture are Bangladesh’s highest money-spinners, having netted $12 million last year. There has been sizeable foreign investment in this sector.
Korean Youngone Ltd shut all its 11 units for an indefinite period Saturday.
The government has not been able to enforce new wages by employers, who say they stand to lose badly through high wages and when the workers agitate.
Industrial violence is recurring in Bangladesh, whose workers are rated as “poorest in the world” by international labour bodies because of the poor wages and working conditions.
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- Violence in Dhaka garment sector as government readies wage revision - Jul 26, 2010
- New wages for Dhaka's garment workers - Jul 30, 2010
- Owners, workers both unhappy over Dhaka's wage fixing - Aug 25, 2010
- Dhaka workers go on rampage to protest new wage structure (Lead) - Jul 30, 2010
- EU concerned over garment sector violence in Bangladesh - Jul 06, 2010
- Three dead, dozens injured in police firing in Bangladesh - Dec 13, 2010
- Hasina promises higher pay to garment sector workers - Jul 07, 2010
- New police force in Bangladesh to curb factory violence - Nov 05, 2009
- Hasina promises minimum wages for troubled garment sector - May 02, 2010
- 20 hurt as garment workers clash with police in Dhaka - Jun 30, 2010
- Act against firm owner who didn't pay wages, says Hasina - Nov 01, 2009
Tags: bangladesh garment, clash with police, clashes, closure, foreign investment, garment workers, implementation, indefinite period, industrial violence, international labour, knitwear, money spinners, pay scales, poor wages, protestors, readymade garment, rickshaw puller, truncheon, wages and working conditions, youngone