Tk 25,000 Minimum Wage: Some RMG workers resume protests

Following over two weeks of worker unrest that had only recently subsided, some garment workers resumed protests today, demanding a minimum wage of Tk 25,000.
Workers from several factories along the Bypail-Abdullahpur road, from Norshinhopur to Jirabo, staged walkouts, halting operations as they voiced their demands. Some attempted to block the Bypail-Abdullahpur road.
Police and joint forces intervened to prevent the blockade after negotiations, reports our Savar correspondent.
Md Sarwar Alam, superintendent of Ashulia industrial police-1, said the Tk 25,000 minimum wage is not the sole issue.
“In some factories, workers are demanding to know why the owners have not returned. In others, they are calling for their factories to reopen, while new demands have also emerged,” he said.
As of yesterday, a total of 19 factories in the Ashulia industrial area remained closed. Of these, 15 were shut under Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, while four were observing a general holiday.
On Saturday night, eight individuals were arrested for their alleged involvement in the recent unrest among ready-made garment workers in the Ashulia area, confirmed Abu Bakar Siddiq, officer in charge of Ashulia police station.