Around 1,500 garment workers from six to eight factories blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway in Kaliakair, Gazipur, on Thursday morning, demanding an increase in the minimum monthly wage to Tk 30,000.
The workers staged the blockade at around 10:00am after refusing to join work at their respective factories, including Islam Garments and Standard Garments, disrupting traffic on the busy highway.
Mohammad Amzad Hossain, superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, told Daily Waadaa that workers from several factories gathered in the Mouchak Top Stand and Dokanpar areas of Safipur in Kaliakair upazila and blocked the highway, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill.
"At around 10:00am, workers from six to eight factories refused to join work and came out onto the streets, chanting slogans demanding a monthly salary of Tk 30,000," he said.
He said the situation had returned to normal after law enforcement agencies dispersed the protesters.
"The situation is now normal. We have dispersed the workers, and the authorities of the factories concerned have announced general holidays for the day. The workers have returned home," he added.
Members of the Industrial Police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed in the area to maintain law and order and prevent further escalation.
Meanwhile, garment manufacturers are growing increasingly concerned over recurring labour unrest and disruptions to factory operations in the country's major industrial belts.
At a meeting with garment manufacturers on Wednesday, factory owners put forward 11 proposals to address the situation. These included introducing a 'no work, no pay' policy for workers who refuse to perform their duties despite reporting to factories.
The proposals also called for amendments to the Bangladesh Labour Act to formally incorporate the provision, setting floor prices for garment products and ensuring uninterrupted supplies of gas and electricity to factories.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is expected to discuss the proposals with its members at a meeting on Saturday before making a decision.
The latest protests come amid workers' demands for a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, against the existing minimum wage of Tk 12,500.
Meanwhile, workers' representatives on the Minimum Wage Board have proposed setting the minimum monthly wage at Tk 32,000, with a separate recommendation of Tk 30,000 for newly recruited and trainee workers.
The board has given employers four working days to submit their counterproposal.
Discussions on the revised wage structure are expected to continue, with the new rates scheduled to take effect in December. Workers are expected to receive their revised salaries in January.