Dhaka, June 17 (UNB) – Garment workers’ organisations on Sunday voiced grave concern over the shutdown of factories by the owners and called for discussion to resolve the problem.

Production in nearly 300 units has been suspended as the authorities on Sunday shut down the factories for an indefinite period, following a call by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Saturday.

The decision to close down factories is illogical, as the closure will leave chances for vested quarters to worsen the dispute between workers and owners and unleash more anarchy among the workers, said a press release of Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre (TUC) on Sunday.

In a joint statement, TUC president Montu Ghosh and general secretary Kazi Ruhul Amin urged both the owners and the workers not to treat each other as enemies.

Workers and owners must keep the trust on each other and work together for meeting the demands of the workers, the release said.

The TUC also recommended a tri-partite meeting between the representatives of the government, owners and workers at national level and meetings between owners and workers at factories to solve the dispute.

Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers’ Federation, in another release on Sunday, expressed grave concern over the unemployment of four-five lakh workers due to the closure of garment factories in Ashulia.

They also demanded a neutral investigation into the unrest to identify those involved in it.

Bangladesh Centre for Workers’ Solidarity, in another release on Sunday, raised a demand to form a neutral and independent committee to find out the reasons behind the unrest.

The workers’ unrest in the sector will affect the market in foreign countries, the release added.

The federation called on all sides to resolve the problems through discussions.