Factory owners say they will invoke Section 13(1) of the Labour Act to shut unrest-hit units indefinitely if workers fail to join work, as 147 factories suspend production today.
Representational image/ File photo.
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Representational image/ File photo.
Garment factory owners are set to shut unrest-hit units indefinitely from tomorrow (15 November) under the Labour Act if workers do not return to work, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has said.
The closures will be made under Section 13(1) of the Labour Act.
Speaking at a press conference today (14 November), BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said owners of factories in the affected areas are in a difficult situation and cannot keep their factories running.
He also said these owners have told the association they will be compelled to close their factories under the section.
Fifty-five factories have already been declared closed under the section today, he said. Another 147 factories suspended production today as workers did not work.
The BGMEA president did not say how many factories would be closed under Section 13(1) from tomorrow. He said unrest does not occur in the same factories every day, so the number may change.
The 147 factories that stopped production today employ around 3 lakh workers, he added.
Under Section 13(1), a factory forced to halt production because of labour unrest can be closed indefinitely. Workers are not paid wages for as long as the factory remains closed.
Leaders of BGMEA and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) were present at the press conference.
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