Online Desk: Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has instructed its members to close factories in case of labour unrest for the protection of workers and properties.

“You can close your factories immediately in line with the labour law provision of 13 (1) if workers don’t want to work and go out from factories and outsiders vandalised. To protect the lives of workers and properties, you can follow the 13 (1) provision,” BGMEA president Faruque Hassan said at a press briefing.

Explaining the labour law provision of 13 (1), he said, “No work no pay.”

The BGMEA president was speaking at the press briefing at the BGMEA office at Uttara in Dhaka on Tuesday on the situation over wage hike protests at different industrial zones in the country.

BGMEA president said, “Almost every day factories are getting closed because of the ongoing unrest at the factories.”

However, Mr Hassan said the factory owners are trying to continue the operation even facing the unrest.

“So far, two garment workers died from the unrest,” he told the press briefing.

He also said the wage board has the time to announce the salary until November 30 and the new wage would be effective from December 01.