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DJ Bangladesh Garment Worker Protests Spread
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AFP)--Bangladeshi police fired rubber bullets Saturday in a bid to subdue garment workers who rioted for a second day in protest against low pay as unrest spread to areas outside Dhaka, police said.
Workers fought pitched street battles with riot police in the manufacturing hub of Ashulia, north of Dhaka, as union officials rejected a government-backed pay hike as "insultingly low."
"Over 20,000 workers walked off the job and many clashed with police, hurling stones and rocks. We fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse them," police inspector Nasir Ahmed told AFP.
The unrest came as Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told "workers to accept the pay hike and return to work," threatening tough action against those who disobeyed her orders.
"She has warned that no act of violence or sabotages will be tolerated in the key garment industry. The instigators will be brought to book," her spokesman, Mahbubul Haq Shakil, said.
Rioters also burnt tyres, blocked a key road linking Dhaka with northern Bangladesh, attacked factories and forced police to run for cover, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.
The factories have announced a shutdown in response and "violence has ebbed but the situation is still tense," Ahmed said.
Police said at least seven law-enforcers including Ashulia's police chief were injured in the violence - all hit by rocks thrown by protesters while the English-language newspaper the Daily Star put the injury toll at around 100.
At least 10,000 workers also blockaded a key road in Narayanganj, south of Dhaka, a police constable said, adding the laborers were holding a peaceful protest amid a heavy police presence.
The protests come a day after violence erupted in a slew of locations across the Bangladeshi capital, prompting riot police to respond against the workers with baton charges and tear gas.
The workers looted and ransacked factories, set vehicles afire and smashed shops and cars, leaving a trail of devastation.
The protests are in response to the government's announcement Tuesday that the minimum monthly wage for garment workers would rise by 80% to 3,000 taka ($43) from BDT1,662 - the lowest industry salary worldwide.
Most of the unions have spurned the offer, saying the workers need at least BDT5,000 a month to ensure a minimum standard of living in the face of surging food prices.
They have threatened to keep up nationwide protests until the government meets their demands.
Leading union leader Mosherafa Mish, who heads the Garment Workers Unity Forum and who has been at the forefront of efforts to win better wages and working conditions for employees, called the pay hike "insultingly low".
"The government should not intimidate the workers. The protests are a normal and spontaneous reaction to the government's sham wage hike. They are holding protests because that's the only way their voices can be heard," she said.
She alleged police were seeking to intimidate union leaders with death threats, including against herself, and have raided some of their houses.
Walid Hossain, a spokesman of Dhaka police, said at least two union leaders and 25 workers had been detained for their alleged role in Friday's violence. He denied that authorities had made any death threats against union leaders.
"This is complete rubbish," he said.
Garment is the main lever of Bangladesh economy, accounting for 80% of its annual exports. The country's 4,500 garment factories employ some 3 million workers, around 40% of its industrial workforce.
A host of global retailers import garments in bulk from Bangladesh, including Wal-Mart, Tesco, Zara, Marks & Spencer and Carrefour.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 31, 2010 09:11 ET (13:11 GMT)