Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) have threatened to shut down factories indefinitely if the agitating workers don’t get back to work by Monday (Jan 14).

“BGMEA will take the action under the Article 13/1 of the Labour Act,” said BGMEA President Siddiqur Rahman in an emergency press briefing called on Sunday (Jan 13) afternoon.   

Workers who won’t join their respective workplaces will not get paid, he warned.

Urging the workers, who have been demonstrating for increased pay, to return to work, the BGMEA president said, “RMG workers are being incited to cause unrest which his leading the industry towards a dreadful direction.”

“A vested quarter is fuelling the incitement aiming to destabilise the apparel industry.” he told the briefing.

According to Rahman the workers are being intimidated and provoked with misleading claim of discrimination in the pay scale.

He also said that on Jan 8, decision was taken to form a tripartite committee with representatives from the government, garments owners and the union leaders. The committee will scrutinise possible need for adjustments in grade 3, 4 and 5 of the pay scale and recommend accordingly.

“Everyone present in that meeting agreed that adjustment of yearly increment will not lower any worker’s basic pay or total wage. Even after the announcement, the workers didn’t return to work. They have vandalised factories, set fire to vehicles and caused hindrance to mass people’s life as usual,” said the BGMEA president.

Workers have been protesting over the wage gap since Jan 6.