Clash between two groups disrupts work at factories

Dhaka, Jun 3 (UNI) Amid clashes among two groups of garment workers and law-enforcers today, that left around 150 people wounded in Savar, about 35 km from the Bangladeshi capital, all the export-oriented apparel factories in the already-troubled Export Processing Zone (EPZ) have been closed.

The EPZ Association decided to ''shut down all factories for an indefinite period'' from tomorrow, on the basis of ''no work, no pay'' following today's clash.

As the fresh outbreaks of labour unrest spread through the apparel hubs from Gazipur to Savar, the worried owners of the factories in the EPZ here closed their establishments for the day, official sources said.

Transport was also disrupted in the area for four hours as around 50,000 agitated industrial workers came out to the street and put barricades on the route.

The clash earlier in the day started as the workers of Young One and Beximco declined to join the agitation, kicked off by the workers of other factories for minimum wage scale, weekly holiday and an eight-hour work schdule.

Witnesses said the workers came out of their factories, blocked the road and staged massive demonstrations.

Police, Bangladesh Rifles and Rapid Action Batallion rushed to the scene and resorted to baton charge on the demonstrators to disperse the agitators.

Commerce Minister Major (Rtd) Hafizuddin Ahmed and State Minister for Labour and Employment Amanullah Aman visited the spot and addressed a rally of the workers in the old EPZ area in order to pacify them.

The ministers asked the workers to refrain from these ''destructive acts'' and assured that the government would take measures to fulfill their demands.

The wave of labour unrest started off with an outburst on May 22 in the DEPZ area, when one worker was killed.

And the following day, agitators burnt and ransacked at least 62 factories and nearly 200 vehicles amid a massive industrial rioting, spreading from Savar through the apparel hubs in and around the capital.

UNI XC KD HS2013