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Jun 28, 2009
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Clashes as 50,000 protest wage cuts in Bangladesh

By
Reuters
Published
Jun 28, 2009

DHAKA (AFP) - Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas Sunday 28 June when protesters clashed with Bangladeshi security forces for a second day, as an estimated 50,000 garment workers rallied over wage cuts and unpaid salaries.


Photo : Farjana Khan Godhuly/AFP

The latest violence came a day after one protester was shot and killed and several injured when around 7,000 workers clashed with police at the same industrial site near the capital.

A second body was found on Sunday 28 June at the Ashulia industrial zone, 30 kilometres (20 miles) outside Dhaka, police officials said, as workers from dozens of factories joined the escalating demonstrations.

"More than 50,000 workers have joined the protests. They have become violent and hurled stones and rocks at our officers. We fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the protesters," Dhaka district police chief Iqbal Bahar said.

"The situation is now under control as all the protesting workers have left the scene," said area police chief Monowar Hossain, adding at least 20 police officers and an unconfirmed number of protesters had been injured.

Factories in the South Asian nation have been hit hard by the global economic crisis with several reportedly cutting wages to compete for orders from countries such as Vietnam, China and India.

"On average clothing factories have cut wages by 20-30 percent. The owners said they have been hit by the global recession," Tauhidul Islam, the president of Bangladesh Apparel Workers' Federation, said.

"But the government figures have so far shown that there has hardly been any impact on order prices."

The latest bout of labour unrest sparked fear among manufacturers, with officials saying many factories in the protest-hit area were forced to close Sunday 28 June because of the demonstrations.

"We are very much concerned. Already we are hit by the global economic recession. The latest violence would compound our woes," Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association chief Fazlul Hoque told AFP.

He said exporters have been under pressure to slash their manufacturing rates following cuts of orders by retailers from the United States and European Union countries.

Inexpensive clothing accounts for 80 percent of Bangladesh's exports.

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