Bizbd Report: March 27, 2024: The Industrial Police has identified 416 industrial units, including 284 apparel and textile factories across the country, where labour unrest may take place over the non-payment of wages and festival allowances before Eid-ul-Fitr.
The industrial police on Monday at a meeting with the business leaders of different trade bodies at its city headquarters handed over the list of risk-prone factories, meeting sources said.
According to the industrial police, out of 284 risk‑prone apparel and textile factories, 171 are the members of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, 71 of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, 29 of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association and 13 units are operating under the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority.
The factories are located in Ashulia, Gazipur, Chattogram, Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Khulna, Cumilla and Sylhet zones under the industrial police.
‘The intelligence unit under the industrial police has listed 284 apparel and textile factories as vulnerable to labour unrest,’ BKMEA executive president Mohammade Hatem told New Age following the meeting.
He confirmed that the police handed over the list to the representatives of BGMEA, BKMEA and BTMA asking for necessary support to avert unrest in the sector.
‘However, I think the number of risk-prone factories will be higher than the list of the government agency as the country’s apparel sector has been facing its worst crisis,’ the BKMEA leader said.
He mentioned that the sector is experiencing a decrease in work orders and factories are running with 50–60 per cent capacity, while the prices of utilities have increased manifold and an acute gas crisis has been delaying shipment.
‘Under the circumstances, it would be difficult for the factory owners to pay increased wages and festival allowances in time,’ Hatem added.
Chief of the industrial police MD Mahabubor Rahman, BGMEA vice president elect Abdullah Hill Rakib, representatives from the BTMA and other government agencies attended the meeting.
In a press release issued by the industrial police on the meeting it said that it urged the owners to pay the wages for March before Eid.
The meeting also urged the factory owners to refrain from terminating workers or laying them off before Eid, which may trigger immediate unrest.