Over 2,000 employees working for Export Processing Zone (EPZ) staged a peaceful demonstration after they were fired.
The workers reported back to work on Wednesday, January 5, only to find the gates locked and their contracts terminated without their knowledge.
According to the employees who spoke to the press, the company management directed them to reapply for their respective jobs between January 4 and 6.
The workers stated that they were taken aback by the decision as they chanted slogans against the management at the apparel company.
"All the Global Apparel EPZ Ltd workers are hereby requested to submit their handwritten applications in the usual format indicating line No/section/department to enable us to process the application and inform you on the joining date," read a memo
The employees who were locked out of the company accused the management of violating their rights. Some told journalists that they had worked at EPZ for 5 years.
Further, the employees revealed that they had been forced to renew their contracts every three months by the management.
Police were also forced to intervene after workers detained a human resources manager and senior officer for more than four hours.
The company administration was also accused of refusing to pay workers for their accrued benefits, the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and leave days.
In 2021, companies operating in the Export Processing Zones (EPZs) hired 7,477 new workers in the financial year ended June on relaxed disruptions that boosted demand in export markets.
That was in contrast to the year ended June 2020 when EPZ firms laid off 8,135 workers after the pandemic outbreak that saw export markets seal their borders in an effort to contain the virus.
The increased jobs were boosted by relaxed containment measures that helped boost exports to markets in the US and Europe.
