All the 11 factories of Korean Youngone Ltd in Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) were shut yesterday for an indefinite period following workers unrest over wages.
Agitating workers at some of these factories stopped work, staged demonstrations and beat up two top executives of the company, protesting "reduction" of wages despite implementation of the new pay scale.
The demonstrators went on the rampage at two factories--Youngone Sports Shoes Industries Ltd (YSSIL) and Youngone
Sportswear Ltd (YSL)—around 5:00pm. They vandalised machinery, factory gates, windowpanes and a car.
They also assaulted Sheikh Shahinur Rahman, executive director of Youngone, and Nurul Alam, deputy director ofYSL.
Meanwhile, in Narayanganj and Gazipur, at least 25 people at three garment factories were injured when the workers clashed with the management staff and ransacked vehicles, in protest against wages as per the old scale.
Our Chittagong correspondent reports: Workers of YSSIL first stopped work at 2:00pm and came out on the street, protesting "reduced" wages they got yesterday under the new pay scale, effective from November 1.
Soon, the workers of YSL followed them.
During the time, workers of Karnaphuli Sportswear Industries Ltd (KSL), Lalmai Sportswear Ltd (LSL), Titas Sportswear Ltd (TSL) and Youngone Corporation Ltd (YCL) got confined inside the factories, as the authorities locked the main gates. Later, they also took to the street.
Over 2,000 workers of all these factories gathered in front ofYSL and started staging demonstrations and brought outprocessions.
A huge contingent of police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Armed Police Battalion went into action at about 6:30pm and drove tire workers out of the CEPZ, said witnesses.
Workers claimed they got decreased wages this time than what they used to get previously.
A sewing worker ofYSL said wages of old workers did not increase much compared to the new ones, and this infuriated them.
Contacted, a CEPZ official, preferring anonymity, said the unrest resulted from a "misunderstanding" over wages.
CEPZ General Manager SM Abdur Rashid could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
Our Narayanganj correspondent reports: Ten people were injured after the workers of Robin Tex BD Limited located at Bhulta Gausia village under Rupganj upazila blocked the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway and ransacked at least five vehicles alleging the authorities were not following the newsalary scale.
However, the government had declared the new scale effective from November.
The injured officials and employees were admitted to different hospitals in Rupganj and Dhaka.
Sources said some 7,000 to 8,000 workers of Robin Tex BD Limited located at Bhulta Gausia village in Rupganj upazila went to the factory at about 8:00am and started demonstration instead of joiningwork.
They locked the main gate from inside and confined the officials. They also ransacked furniture, computers and machinery of the factory.
Later, the workers took to the highway, put barricade and ransacked die vehicles, halting transport movement for half an hour.
They withdrew the barricade at about 10:30am when police assured them of meeting their demand through negotia-tion with the authorities. Transport movement resumed at that time.
General Manager of the factory Abdus Salam said the owners announced the salaries would be paid as per new wage board from December.
Meanwhile, a correspondent from Gazipur adds, 15 persons were also injured in a clash among the officials and the workers of two garment factories after they staged demonstrations in Kaliakoir upazila of Gazipur yesterday on the same demand.
The factory authorities of Moazuddin Textile Limited at Purba Chandra area and Knitwear Limited at Ratanpur village in the upazila paid the workers' salary as per the old wage board on Thursday, the workers claimed.
They started the demonstration yesterday morning protesting the old salary structure.
On information, Gazipur Industrial Police and Kaliakoir police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.