Garment factory owners have warned that they may enforce a ‘no work, no pay’ policy if the ongoing labour protests and unrest in the garment sector are not brought under control by Saturday. The industry leaders have also sought government cooperation to restore normalcy.

The warning came at an emergency meeting held on Thursday (November 5) afternoon at the office of Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed at the Secretariat in Dhaka, attended by leaders of various garment exporters’ organisations.

A business delegation led by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Mahmud Hasan Khan attended the meeting.

Presided over by the Home Minister, the meeting saw garment industry leaders express deep concern over the prevailing situation. They said continued unrest could make it increasingly difficult for factories to maintain production operations.

According to sources at the meeting, the government advised factory owners to wait until Saturday to assess the situation. The government also indicated plans to take strict action against those allegedly creating unrest in the industrial sector under the pretext of demanding wage increases.

The industry leaders said that if normalcy is not restored by Saturday and workers do not cooperate in resuming operations, factory owners may announce and enforce a ‘no work, no pay’ policy.

A source at the Ministry of Home Affairs said the government would adopt a tough stance if the situation deteriorates further. Disciplinary action may also be taken against individuals from both the owners’ and workers’ sides who are involved in the unrest.

Among those present at the emergency meeting were former BGMEA presidents Kutubuddin Ahmed, Kazi Moniruzzaman, Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez, Rubana Huq and Khandaker Rafiqul Islam.

Former FBCCI president and Managing Director of Ha-Meem Group A.K. Azad, BGMEA Senior Vice-President Selim Rahman and Vice-President Rezwan Selim were also present.

BKMEA Vice-President Amal Podder and Director Salahuddin Ahmed, along with other industry leaders, attended the meeting.