Labour unrest disrupts production at DEPZ

Sweeping labour unrest disrupted production at most of the garments factories in Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ), located in Savar, today.

From what could be known, protests erupted from a factory Talisman Ltd and spread to others, compelling closure of most of the factories at new DEPZ.

Around 2,000 workers of Talisman Ltd burst into protest after discovering a closure notice of the factory, our correspondent reports from the spot.

“They were demonstrating for two days,” Nazma Binte Alamgir, general manager (public relations) of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), told The Daily Star.

“Their demands are illogical. The factory owner suspended operations this morning,” she said; adding that many other factories had also pulled shutters.

According to her, workers of Talisman Ltd tried to create unrest along with the workers of other factories, prompting authorities to shutter several factories.

The Daily Star visited at least six factories and found their entrances padlocked.

Sana Shaminur Rahman, superintendent of Dhaka zone industrial police, acknowledged the situation and declined to make any comment over the issue.

Contacted, a highly-placed official of FCI (BD) Ltd, a sister concern of Talisman Ltd, told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity that all the factories inside the new DEPZ were closed down for today.

“The workers are coming up with an array of demands, most of which are illogical,” he said.

WHAT ARE THEIR DEMANDS?

According to BEPZA officer Alamgir, the workers want a raise in attendance bonus from Tk 300 to Tk 500. They also want to be served food together with the factory officers.

They also want eight-hour shifts during Ramadan, 10 per cent increase in provident fund, and grant of casual leave over a mobile phone call.

Also, there is an issue of “indecent comment” to a female worker by a foreign official of the Talisman factory, the BEPZA officer said.

“It is not feasible for a single company to realise such demands given the fact that it might lead to chaos among the other factories,” said the FCI Ltd official.

Regarding the “indecent comment”, he assured that no such incident happened and insisted that it “was an organised propaganda to instigate unrest”.