20130731 Bangladesh Workers set fire to Gazipur factory for arrears, bonus
Bangladesh Jul 30 2013 “Factories”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Workers set fire to Gazipur factory for arrears, bonus
Updated: 2013-08-01
Some workers of Libas Textiles Ltd of Nishchintapur in Gazipur’s Kaliakoir set fire to the factory after a meeting with owners over payment of their wages and festival bonus ended fruitlessly in Gazipur.
The workers claimed that they were protesting peacefully inside the factory when some of them locked the factory’s main gate and carried out the arson attack.
Firefighters from Gazipur and Kaliakoir doused the fire. No casualty was reported till filing of this report yesterday evening.
Over 2,000 workers went on strike on Wednesday over demands, including payment of outstanding overtime of May, June and July; of July’s salaries; and of 60 percent of their wage as festival bonus.
The workers said usually they received 60 percent of their gross salary as festival bonus but the authorities announced that 20 percent bonus of it would be given this year.
“Workers ransacked the factory in the morning. They also threw pieces of bricks and broke windowpanes,” said Gazipur Industrial Police Inspector Md Swakat Kabir.
“The demands are completely unfair but we are holding discussions with them to maintain peace,” said the company’s Executive Director MA Mannan.
Websource:The Daily Star
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/workers-set-fire-to-gazipur-factory-for-arrears-bonus/
Date:2013-08-01
Country:Bangladesh