Bangladesh garment owners threaten to quit wage talks, shut factories indefinitely

Garment manufacturers in Bangladesh have threatened to withdraw from minimum wage negotiations and shut factories indefinitely if workers continue vandalising industrial units during protests.The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) said on Saturday that they were reconsidering their participation in the wage talks, citing a lack of assurances over factory security."If the situation persists, we must reconsider," BGMEA president Mahmud Hasan Khan said at a news briefing in Dhaka, referring to the next round of negotiations scheduled for Monday.Khan also said factories unable to operate because of the unrest would remain closed indefinitely under Bangladesh's labour law. Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act allows employers to suspend operations under a "no work, no pay" provision.The warning comes after weeks of protests over wages and working conditions, with demonstrations turning violent in several garment manufacturing centres. Workers have blocked roads, while clashes this month have involved damage to property and the torching of police vehicles.At least 147 factories remained closed on Saturday across Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur, the country's major garment manufacturing hubs. More than 4,500 factories are registered with industry trade bodies.Wage talks face fresh uncertaintyThe Minimum Wage Board, formed on November 1, is due to meet on Monday to discuss a revised pay structure for garment workers.