Revolt of the garment and textile workers in Bangladesh 01
Posted by Textile MBSTU on Thursday, December 18, 2008
Under: Textile
From 20 May to 6 June 2006, nearly 1.8 million garment workers of Bangladesh concentrated in industrial areas in and around the capital Dhaka engaged in a series of simultaneous massive wildcat strikes that took on the proportions of a mass proletarian revolt. During this period, especially from May 20 to May 24 when garment workers’ revolt was at its peak, workers of nearly 4000 factories struck work. These workers, and other workers from the industrial suburbs, continuously demonstrated and blocked highways connecting industrial suburbs to the capital Dhaka and Dhaka to other cities – Mymensingh, Ashulia, and Chitgong etc. In the face of this mass revolt, the bourgeoisie resorted to massive repression. In the first one week, as per official figures, at least 3 workers were shot dead, 3000 injured and several thousands were put into prisons. Striking workers continuously confronted and chased away paramilitary and police forces deployed to crush their movement. "The capital city appeared in the middle of a siege, as garment workers took to streets at about 8:30AM", reported New Age, the Dhaka English daily on 24th May 2006. This line was repeated on several days by bourgeois press in Bangladesh as workers persisted with their struggles. Although by May 25-26, bourgeoisie succeeded in blunting the edge of workers revolt by massive deployment of paramilitary forces and with the help of unions, the revolt continued till 6-7 June 2006. Workers in different Export Processing Zones (EPZ) and industrial areas continued to engage in wild cat strikes and demonstrations – most garment factories remained closed. The state proclaimed that factories will open only from 8th June 2006 once order is fully restored.
Barbaric exploitation of workers in Bangladesh – the real face of 'outsourcing and boom'
Amid the whole stagnant economy of Bangladesh, readymade garments sector is the only one the bourgeoisie boasts of. This sector is entirely export oriented and is composed of above 4400 units – most of them working for international buyers. Some are owned by international companies. Most of the garment units are clustered in industrial areas and Export Processing Zones in and around Dhaka – Ghazipor, Savar, Ashulia, Mirpur, Tejgaon, Mohakhali, Uttara, Wari and Tongi etc. The textile and garments export constitute 70% of total $ 9.3 billion export from Bangladesh.
This sector employs 1.8 million workers, 90% of them are women and therefore particularly vulnerable to intimidation and repression. Garment workers constitute 40% of the total industrial workforce of Bangladesh. Brutality of exploitation of garment workers in Bangladesh is typical of the conditions of workers in many sectors 'outsourced' by center of capitalism to third world countries. Minimum wages are 900 Takka (14$) per month. Even this is not paid in half of the garment as well as other factories. These minimum wages were fixed in 1994 and have remained unchanged despite consumer prices having grown three fold in the last 12 years. After the recent workers’ revolt, it is now being said that the garments sector, which has thrived due to cheap, slave labor, had consistently opposed efforts to revise the minimum wage. "Powerful lobbies of garment owners have been able to keep the government convinced that if wages in garment sector increase, it will increase production costs and discourage local and foreign investors from investing in the burgeoning sector", said Mr. Jafrul Hasan a representative of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (New Age, 29th May 2006). Even boss’s top body, BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) is now saying "Owners of the sweater manufacturing factories, who cheat their workers by paying abysmally low ‘piece rates’ (…) are to be blamed for igniting the workers’ unrest that focused national and even international interest on the gross underpayment of the garment workers and inhuman violation of their rights" (New Age, 29th May 2006).
But starvation wages are not the only expression of brutal exploitation. A few years ago the legal work week was extended to 72 Hours; actual working day is often up to or above 16 Hours. There is no weekly time off in the garment sector – mandatory weekly time off was one of the demands of the revolt. There are no public holidays, no annual leave. Also bosses "show a reckless disregard for safety at workplace as deaths of 4000 workers in industrial accidents such as fire and building collapse point to", (New Age, 24th May 2006). Not only this, there have been cases of beatings and killing of workers. "Intelligence sources said some senior staffers of the factory killed two female workers at Dhaka Export Processing Zone (…) about one and a half years ago but workers could not protest at the time for fear", Daily Independent, 2nd June 2006, Dhaka.
Apparently in these conditions of barbaric exploitation the bourgeoisie dispensed with even a myth of representation - no unions, even linked to ruling gangs, were allowed in any of the garment factories. As per an academic in Labor Studies, "only 100 out of 5000-plus garment factories have participation committees’", New Age, 3rd June 2006. This absence of bourgeois tools to control workers became an element in the strength and violence of the workers revolt.
Small beginnings of a mass revolt
As per reports there have been cases of workers struggles in garment factories in last few months. But these were mostly in individual factories with demands addressed to individual bosses. FS Sweater factory, whose events became detonator for the recent revolt, has been in turmoil since last some months with workers repeatedly agitating for their demands.
On Saturday, 20 May 2006, as morning shift started at 8.00 AM nearly 1000 workers of FS Sweater factory at Sripur, in the suburbs of Dhaka, started a sit-in demanding increase in their wages and release of their arrested colleagues – who were arrested on 18 May for participating in an agitation for their demands. The bosses of the company, not willing to tolerate collective resistance from the workers, locked them in. Amid sweltering heat they cut off drinking water and power supply to the areas where workers were gathered and called the police. The police entered the factory at around 11.00AM and along with private security of the factory started beating the workers. Police also opened fire on workers inside the factory. Many workers were injured, at least 12 workers sustained bullet injuries inside the factory. Six of these wounded workers were arrested and taken by the police. Attacked by the police and the private security of the bosses, workers jumped above the walls to come out of the factory.
Enraged workers started gathering on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway outside the factory. Workers of FS Sweater factory were joined by thousands of other workers and their families from neighboring slums where most of the workers live. By noon the workers blocked the traffic on the highway and took out a procession for their demands and against police repression. This procession of workers was attacked by bigger, reinforced contingents of police force that once again resorted to beating the workers and opened fire on demonstrators. Police also went inside the slums and beat up workers and their families. Workers and their families in turn chased the police. The traffic on the highway remained blocked till evening.
By the end of the day, one worker was shot dead by the police in front of FS Sweater Factory. As per official accounts eighty workers sustained bullet injuries. While the wounded and angry workers went back to the slums, the news of repression and of death of a worker spread throughout the industrial suburbs of Dhaka. Next day, 21st May, was Sunday. Although no major incident happened that day, the news of police atrocity continued to spread. At this moment the bourgeoisie did not expect any major trouble on Monday and did not take any preventive action by way of union, political or police mobilization. Different leftist factions contented themselves with issuing some statements 'condemning' the police attack.
Barbaric exploitation of workers in Bangladesh – the real face of 'outsourcing and boom'
Amid the whole stagnant economy of Bangladesh, readymade garments sector is the only one the bourgeoisie boasts of. This sector is entirely export oriented and is composed of above 4400 units – most of them working for international buyers. Some are owned by international companies. Most of the garment units are clustered in industrial areas and Export Processing Zones in and around Dhaka – Ghazipor, Savar, Ashulia, Mirpur, Tejgaon, Mohakhali, Uttara, Wari and Tongi etc. The textile and garments export constitute 70% of total $ 9.3 billion export from Bangladesh.
This sector employs 1.8 million workers, 90% of them are women and therefore particularly vulnerable to intimidation and repression. Garment workers constitute 40% of the total industrial workforce of Bangladesh. Brutality of exploitation of garment workers in Bangladesh is typical of the conditions of workers in many sectors 'outsourced' by center of capitalism to third world countries. Minimum wages are 900 Takka (14$) per month. Even this is not paid in half of the garment as well as other factories. These minimum wages were fixed in 1994 and have remained unchanged despite consumer prices having grown three fold in the last 12 years. After the recent workers’ revolt, it is now being said that the garments sector, which has thrived due to cheap, slave labor, had consistently opposed efforts to revise the minimum wage. "Powerful lobbies of garment owners have been able to keep the government convinced that if wages in garment sector increase, it will increase production costs and discourage local and foreign investors from investing in the burgeoning sector", said Mr. Jafrul Hasan a representative of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (New Age, 29th May 2006). Even boss’s top body, BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) is now saying "Owners of the sweater manufacturing factories, who cheat their workers by paying abysmally low ‘piece rates’ (…) are to be blamed for igniting the workers’ unrest that focused national and even international interest on the gross underpayment of the garment workers and inhuman violation of their rights" (New Age, 29th May 2006).
But starvation wages are not the only expression of brutal exploitation. A few years ago the legal work week was extended to 72 Hours; actual working day is often up to or above 16 Hours. There is no weekly time off in the garment sector – mandatory weekly time off was one of the demands of the revolt. There are no public holidays, no annual leave. Also bosses "show a reckless disregard for safety at workplace as deaths of 4000 workers in industrial accidents such as fire and building collapse point to", (New Age, 24th May 2006). Not only this, there have been cases of beatings and killing of workers. "Intelligence sources said some senior staffers of the factory killed two female workers at Dhaka Export Processing Zone (…) about one and a half years ago but workers could not protest at the time for fear", Daily Independent, 2nd June 2006, Dhaka.
Apparently in these conditions of barbaric exploitation the bourgeoisie dispensed with even a myth of representation - no unions, even linked to ruling gangs, were allowed in any of the garment factories. As per an academic in Labor Studies, "only 100 out of 5000-plus garment factories have participation committees’", New Age, 3rd June 2006. This absence of bourgeois tools to control workers became an element in the strength and violence of the workers revolt.
Small beginnings of a mass revolt
As per reports there have been cases of workers struggles in garment factories in last few months. But these were mostly in individual factories with demands addressed to individual bosses. FS Sweater factory, whose events became detonator for the recent revolt, has been in turmoil since last some months with workers repeatedly agitating for their demands.
On Saturday, 20 May 2006, as morning shift started at 8.00 AM nearly 1000 workers of FS Sweater factory at Sripur, in the suburbs of Dhaka, started a sit-in demanding increase in their wages and release of their arrested colleagues – who were arrested on 18 May for participating in an agitation for their demands. The bosses of the company, not willing to tolerate collective resistance from the workers, locked them in. Amid sweltering heat they cut off drinking water and power supply to the areas where workers were gathered and called the police. The police entered the factory at around 11.00AM and along with private security of the factory started beating the workers. Police also opened fire on workers inside the factory. Many workers were injured, at least 12 workers sustained bullet injuries inside the factory. Six of these wounded workers were arrested and taken by the police. Attacked by the police and the private security of the bosses, workers jumped above the walls to come out of the factory.
Enraged workers started gathering on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway outside the factory. Workers of FS Sweater factory were joined by thousands of other workers and their families from neighboring slums where most of the workers live. By noon the workers blocked the traffic on the highway and took out a procession for their demands and against police repression. This procession of workers was attacked by bigger, reinforced contingents of police force that once again resorted to beating the workers and opened fire on demonstrators. Police also went inside the slums and beat up workers and their families. Workers and their families in turn chased the police. The traffic on the highway remained blocked till evening.
By the end of the day, one worker was shot dead by the police in front of FS Sweater Factory. As per official accounts eighty workers sustained bullet injuries. While the wounded and angry workers went back to the slums, the news of repression and of death of a worker spread throughout the industrial suburbs of Dhaka. Next day, 21st May, was Sunday. Although no major incident happened that day, the news of police atrocity continued to spread. At this moment the bourgeoisie did not expect any major trouble on Monday and did not take any preventive action by way of union, political or police mobilization. Different leftist factions contented themselves with issuing some statements 'condemning' the police attack.
source ; http://en.internationalism.org/ci/2006/workers-revolt-in-bangladesh
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