Violent protests in tens of thousands of textile workers in Bangladesh have led to the closure Tuesday of 700 plants supplying most major brands of western clothing.
The riot police fired rubber bullets and tear gas on the workers in the industrial area of Ashulia, north of the capital Dhaka.In this sector, workers, requiring a higher minimum wage of 25-70 dollars, have erected barricades of old tires, set fire to trucks for delivery and launched missiles at the police for fourth consecutive day.
Some 800,000 workers spend many factories closed down 700, but "tens of thousands" more are on the streets, forcing shops to close, "said deputy chief of police in Dhaka Monowar Hosain.
Plants that have been forced to close their doors provide Western chains such as Wal-Mart, H & M, Tesco, Carrefour and Metro, as well as major brands like Tommy Hilfiger, GAP and Levi Strauss. The workers demanded wage of at least 5,000 taka (70 dollars) per month.The current minimum wage set in 2006 is only $ 25.
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Under the patronage of manufacturers and exporters of textiles (BGMEA), the violent protests, which began Saturday, has created a climate of "panic and anarchy, forcing factories to close until further notice. "More than 50 factories were ransacked by protesters who prevented and deliver orders on time, resulting in losses totaling millions of dollars," said Vice-President of the BGMEA, M. Mohiuddin Shafiul Islam.
Labour Minister Mosharraf Hossain promised after an emergency meeting with the management of textile wage increases, but has threatened "strong action" demonstrators.Textiles account for 80% of annual exports of Bangladesh and its factories employing 40% of the workforce of the industrial countries, most of them women.
