RMG Workers’ Life After Protests: Plagued by uncertainty

On November 14, Babul Hossain, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garment Workers Solidarity (BGWS), was nowhere to be found.

But his whereabouts were learnt 20 hours later: he was shown arrested on charges of rioting, arson and attempted murder along with 1,100 to 1,200 other "miscreants" in Gazipur.

The incident he was arrested for -- which was part of the twelve-day-long protests of garment workers to press home their demand for near-tripling of wages -- took place on October 30. And Babul was nowhere near the demo, according to eyewitnesses and family members. In fact, he was in Ashulia.

"The workers demonstrated only because they were struggling to make ends meet," said Taslima Akter, president of BGWS. "Now that many families have lost their bread-earners due to these arrests, they are fighting for survival. Covering the costs of legal battles is almost impossible for them."

According to ready-made garment (RMG) workers, the series of protests—far from fulfilling their demand for a better life and livelihood—have resulted in mass arrests, threats of violence, and deteriorating working conditions. Many are now in fear of getting fired, or worse, getting detained in blanket cases filed against "unidentified miscreants," regardless of whether they actually took part in the protests.

This fear has forced many workers to voluntarily leave their job and even the locality. 

In late October, RMG workers took to the streets when the minimum wage board failed to decide on the wage, even after its tenure expired on October 9.

On November 26, the wage board fixed Tk 12,500 as the minimum wage, against their demands of Tk 23,000, which frustrated them, leading to more demonstrations in the capital and industrial areas like Gazipur and Savar.

Instead of negotiations, the government used force to subdue the protests, resulting in the death of four workers and arrest of scores.

Factory owners then implemented Section 13(1) of Bangladesh Labour Act, terming the demonstrations as "illegal strikes." They shut down the factories for an indefinite period, during which the establishments would be operated on a "no work-no pay" basis.

"The message was clear, that the protesting workers will not get their salaries unless they returned to work," said Sakhina Akter, a workers' leader employed at a factory in the capital's Mirpur.

Despite the grievances, workers had to ultimately call off demonstrations and return to the factories just to run their families. But this compromise did not bring relief. This correspondent visited Ashulia, Konabari and Mirpur areas and talked to numerous RMG workers, who revealed the ordeal they are facing after calling off the protests. 

RANDOMLY PICKED UP AND ARRESTED

During the days of protests, police filed more than 60 cases implicating over 36,000 unidentified workers and "miscreants."

The Daily Star obtained and reviewed 20 case documents. In all the cases, the accused have been charged with similar crimes, such as vandalising factories, arson, threatening and assaulting staff (in some cases, attempted murder), blocking highways, and obstructing governmental operations.

Workers claimed that after the cases were filed, police conducted numerous raids in the residential areas of Savar and Gazipur, mainly in neighbourhoods of Ashulia and Konabari, and picked up random people on suspicion that they had taken part in the protests.

A worker living in Konabari's Ambag area said, "On November 13 and 14, police conducted raids in this neighbourhood at 1:00am. They picked up many workers from this neighbourhood for vandalising factories and vehicles, at times with the help of ruling party members. They were innocent workers; some didn't even go to the demonstrations. Some weren't even garment workers; they just returned home at 9:00pm and got arrested at 2:00am."

Another worker said, "Workers never vandalised the factories. We know that the factory equipment is the source of our salary. There is CCTV footage of these incidents."

Besides general workers, at least five worker leaders have been arrested over inciting riots, vandalising establishments, blocking roads and setting fire on vehicles during the protests.

Police, however, denied the claims of random arrests. Mohammad Sarwar Alam, superintendent of police at Industrial Police-2, Gazipur, told The Daily Star, "We have not received any allegation of randomly arresting workers. Police did not arrest any worker on suspicion. The miscreants were arrested based on facts and evidence."

"Despite this, a probe committee has been formed to investigate whether laws were violated or excessive force was used by police while engaging with the workers," he added.  

Contacted, Faruque Hasan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said, "Police have been arresting those who were involved in vandalism and arson, which are legitimate causes to arrest a citizen."

BRANDED AS BNP-JAMAAT ACTIVISTS

Ruling party leaders and activists also worked together to suppress the workers' movement, claim workers. The party leaders allegedly tagged workers as members of the opposition and attacked them indiscriminately during the protests.

According to workers, the party leaders are still threatening them to ensure that no more demonstrations are staged.

On October 31, local Awami League leaders joined police in Mirpur to disperse protesting workers, which turned into a violent clash, injuring more than 30 workers.

Aolad Hossain, a leader of Dhaka City (North) Awami League, reportedly attacked the protesting workers with many of his followers and was seen showing off his firearms. Some workers claimed that Aolad even used the guns during the clash.

The Daily Star could not independently verify the claim, as Aolad could not be reached over phone and police present during the clash denied this.

Besides, followers of Taijul Islam Bappi, councillor of DNCC's Ward-6, also allegedly attacked the workers multiple times during demonstrations. He couldn't be reached for comments either.

A worker who was seriously injured in the clash said, "Followers of Aolad and Bappi, notably a local goon named Lakku, even threatened workers by going to their homes."

Visiting slums of Bauniabadh, Bhashantek and Baksnagar areas, this correspondent found that many RMG workers who led or attended the protests in Mirpur have fled their homes in fear of arrests or retaliation from local ruling party leaders.

Kalpona Akter, executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity (BCWS), said, "We have received numerous reports of workers getting harassed and threatened after they were branded as opposition activists... We, however, could not determine the exact number of arrested, sacked and fled workers, as they and their families are too afraid to talk." 

"The political leaders have tried to tarnish a legitimate labour movement by giving it a political colour," she said. "It is the government that has pushed the agitation this far. If they decided on the minimum wage within the deadline, there wouldn't have been any movement in the months leading to the general election."

OVERWORKED AND THREATENED

Factory managers are reportedly weaponising the filed cases to make employees work for extended hours and subdue any further attempts to protest. Most factories that were closed in Dhaka and Gazipur during the protests are imposing additional workload, according to the workers.

A worker of a factory in Mirpur said, "Many of our colleagues didn't return to the factory after the protests in fear of arrests... Our factory didn't employ new workers, instead they are forcing each of us to do the work of two or three people."

"We reach our factory at sharp 8:00am but can't leave before 9:00pm. If we complain, they verbally abuse us and threaten to call police to arrest us under those cases," he said.

"Before the protests, my target was 160 to 180 shirts per day, but now it's more than 300 shirts," said a worker of a factory in Konabari. "They are doing this to punish us for the protests and to maximise profits, as they have to pay the increased salary from next month."

According to workers, factory managers are barring them from talking to journalists, NGOs or union leaders.  

"Our managers repeatedly warned us not to talk to any journalist or NGO worker," said another worker. "If we don't obey these instructions, they threaten to lay us off. It feels like we are working in a jail."

In response, BGMEA's Faruque denied the accounts of harassment and disproportionate work pressure, and dismissed claims of threats or retaliatory measures against workers who participated in the protests.

"When the increased wage was declared, the workers voluntarily returned to their factories. We did not force them to join. We are running our factories just as we did before," he claimed.

WORKERS AS VULNERABLE AS EVER

Since the announcement of the new wage, the workers have been reiterating that it will not bring them any semblance of relief, but fighting for it has brought on all kinds of trouble.

"When workers get frustrated, they're supposed to share their grievances with unions, and the unions should discuss these issues with management. However, in most factories, the unions are made up of the management, which in no way represents the workers," said Kalpona Akter.

"Even in the minimum wage board, the government did not choose workers' representatives fairly and democratically. As a result, workers do not find any peaceful way to channel their grievances and fulfil demands, except taking to the streets," she added. "The factory owners and government bodies, the supposed guardians of the workers, are fully responsible for these protests."

This series of events—the protests, clashes, and arrests—have garnered global concerns, particularly of the US. In response to this development, Faruque said, "We are extremely careful in complying with international standards. Even so, the US cancelled the GSP facility for RMG products in 2013, despite the fact it is providing this facility to many African countries governed by authoritarian regimes, amid no labour laws. But our industry has thrived in the last decade, and I believe it will continue to thrive in the future."

Regarding compensation, the BGMEA president said, "We love our workers like our family. We have already donated Tk 5,00,000 to the families of deceased workers and are helping bear the expenses of the children's education." 

"As the factories were closed under Section 13(1) and workers did not call the strikes following the labour law, the workers are not entitled to get any salary for the days they did not come to the factory. However, we are looking for ways to give a salary for those days considering humanitarian issues," he added.

Names of the workers have not been mentioned due to safety concerns.