DHAKA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Workers in Bangladesh staged demonstrations and ransacked nearly a dozen factories in protests over disparity in their new wage structure.
In Tongi, one of the key apparel industrial hubs on the outskirts of capital Dhaka, at least nine factories were reportedly vandalized by the unruly workers.
Equipped with sticks, workers also vandalised two more factories in Dhaka's Mirpur area.
Against this backdrop, authorities of scores of factories in Dhaka and in the apparel hubs on the outskirts of the capital city suspended their production for Saturday. violence.
Dozens of people including workers and law enforcers were injured in incidents of violence on Saturday as police charged batons and used water cannon to disperse the protesters in places.
A tripartite committee with representatives from the government, union leaders and factory owners has already been formed to resolve the ongoing unrest.
Tens of thousands garment workers have been staging demonstration since Sunday.
They alleged that the minimum monthly basic wage in the 7th grade had been increased to 8,000 taka from 5,300 taka but in other grades pay hikes were not reflected proportionately. (1 U.S. dollar equals to about 84 taka)
