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malaise

(269,151 posts) Mon Sep 23, 2013, 08:20 PM Sep 2013

Factories ablaze as Bangladesh garment workers protest

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/23/factories-ablaze-as-bangladesh-garment-workers-protest/
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Angry Bangladeshi garment workers blocked roads, set factories alight and clashed with police for a third day on Monday as protests demanding a minimum monthly wage of $100 spread outside the capital Dhaka.

Abdul Baten, police chief of the Gazipur industrial district near Dhaka which is home to hundreds of factories, told AFP that “up to 200,000 workers” had joined the latest demonstrations.

His deputy Mustafizur Rahman said about 300 factories, which make clothing for top Western retailers such as Walmart, were shut on Monday to contain the violence as protesting workers attacked plants that stayed open.

“The situation is extremely volatile. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the unruly workers,” he told AFP, adding dozens of workers and several policemen were injured.

Manufacturers said Monday’s protests were some of the worst in the sector since 2010 when months of demonstrations forced the government and factory owners to agree to a minimum monthly wage of 3,000 taka ($38).
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No tears here

3 replies

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Factories ablaze as Bangladesh garment workers protest (Original Post) malaise Sep 2013 OP

Good for them, hit the scumbags hard Warpy Sep 2013 #1

Let's hope so. The factories might just move to Indonesia instead Recursion Sep 2013 #2

Pretty soon, the only place left with desperate workers Warpy Sep 2013 #3

Warpy

(111,319 posts)

1. Good for them, hit the scumbags hard

Reply to malaise (Original post)

Mon Sep 23, 2013, 09:27 PM

Sep 2013

I don't even think it's silly to burn down your workplace if it's one of those miserable firetraps, make them build a better building with a sprinkler system. They can afford it after so many years of exploiting the poor.

I'm glad to see marginal workers rising up all over the place even if it's an inconvenience from time to time here and drives up the cost of everyday things by a few pennies. It needs to happen or all workers are going to find themselves marginal workers.

Recursion

(56,582 posts)

2. Let's hope so. The factories might just move to Indonesia instead

Reply to Warpy (Reply #1)

Mon Sep 23, 2013, 09:39 PM

Sep 2013

That's what happened here in India: the workers organized and got better salaries; the mill companies moved to Bangladesh. Now Mumbai has a mile-wide strip of abandoned mills down the middle.

Warpy

(111,319 posts)

3. Pretty soon, the only place left with desperate workers

Reply to Recursion (Reply #2)

Mon Sep 23, 2013, 09:44 PM

Sep 2013

willing to be exploited for a pittance will be in African countries. Good luck to the exploiters finding a work force that hasn't been weakened by HIV, malaria and other diseases in countries that aren't being ripped apart by revolution and war.

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