Bangladesh garment factories dismiss '1,500 workers'

Police in Bangladesh say garment manufacturers have dismissed at least 1,500 workers after protests over pay led to a week-long shutdown at dozens of factories, which supply clothes to top Western brands.

Police branded the protests illegal and said they had arrested 30 workers, including seven union leaders, as well as a television reporter covering the unrest, the AFP news agency reported on Wednesday.
Tens of thousands of workers walked out of factories in the manufacturing hub of Ashulia, a suburb of the capital Dhaka, that make clothing for brands like GAP, Zara and H&M earlier this month, prompting concerns over supply during the holiday season.
"All the factories have resumed their operations. Some 90 percent of the workers have joined work," said Nur Nabi, assistant superintendent of police.

"Around 1,500 workers have been sacked [by the owners]. The owners have filed five cases against the unruly workers."
However, the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF) put the number of dismissed workers at 3,500, adding that dozens of protest organisers had been forced into hiding.
Babul Akhter, head of the BGIWF, accused authorities of using a controversial military-era law to shut down the protests.
"They used [the] Special Powers Act to detain union leaders and workers," he told AFP. "Up to 3,500 workers have been sacked and 50 leaders have gone into hiding."