Gazipur comes to a standstill as RMG workers block highway

Gazipur city has come to a standstill as Readymade Garments workers of five factories continue to block the Dhaka-Myamensingh Highway to demand wages for the third consecutive day on Monday. 

The blockade has caused traffic on most of the adjacent roads to become stagnant. Members of the police and armed forces have tried to negotiate with the striking workers quite a few times, but they refused to leave the highway. After spending the last two nights on the road, they have vowed to only return home once their demands are met. 

Previously on 9 November (Saturday), around 1,200 workers of five factories under the TNZ Group started the strike, demanding due wages and continuing production at their factories. 

According to the workers, the factory owners vowed to pay the wages on 23 October, but it went unpaid. On 24 October, a meeting was held between the armed forces, owners, and labour delegation. It was decided that the wages for September will be paid on 3 November, and wages for October will be paid on 20 November. But the owners failed to make payment on 3 November. As a result, the workers continued to strike. 

Confirming the matter, Gazipur Industrial Police-2 Superintendent Sarowar Alam told the Daily Samakal that the owners assured the workers that their wages would be paid. However, the workers refused to remove the blockade as the owners did not keep their word in the past.