Stop dehumanising our workers

We condemn the law enforcers' crackdown on garment workers in Narayanganj's Fatullah area on Sunday, which led to 50 workers and 10 policemen getting injured. This inclination of the authorities to turn to violence, instead of listening to workers' legitimate demands, is concerning. According to the workers and eyewitnesses, the clash started when law enforcers used water cannons to disperse the peacefully protesting workers and baton-charged them. Although we cannot condone the workers blocking the Dhaka-Munshiganj Road for their protest, the authorities could have convinced them to clear the road without using violence.

We also have to agree with the workers that demanding their due salary is not a crime. Had they been paid on time, they would not have to take to the streets in the first place. Moreover, the factory in question—Abanti Colour Tex Ltd, a concern of Crony Group—has allegedly been irregular in paying its workers for some time. The reason why workers were more agitated this time was because they were promised their monthly salary for March via mobile banking before Eid, but are yet to receive it. Many workers could not even travel to their villages as they remained unpaid in the month of Eid—except for their Eid bonus. The sentiment of the workers, therefore, should have been taken into consideration by the authorities.

The workers even tried to negotiate with the factory administration, who refused to pay any heed to their demands; instead, they put up a notice indicating that the factory would remain closed for a few days. This tendency to close factories instead of giving the workers their dues is also indicative of how poorly factory owners and administrations treat workers, who form the backbones of this industry, as they are then also denied remuneration for the days the factory remains closed.

This vicious cycle, which only dehumanises workers, must end. The government has to ensure that the factory immediately pays its workers their dues. It should also create a mechanism to mediate fairly between workers and factory owners in such situations, instead of violently cracking down upon them when they stage a protest.