Nearly 5,000 garment workers sacked over Bangladesh strikes

Nearly 5,000 low-paid Bangladeshi garment workers stitching clothes for global brands have been sacked by factory bosses for joining strikes over wages this month that turned violent, police said Tuesday.
Thousands of labourers walked out of factory floors across the country in days-long protests that disrupted the $30 billion industry - and saw police fire rubber bullets and tear gas at demonstrators. One worker was killed and more than 50 injured in clashes in Ashulia, a key industrial town outside Dhaka where clothes are sewn for retail giants H&M, Walmart and many others.
Police say thousands of factory workers accused of looting and vandalism during the protests have been fired, but unions have accused the industry of intimidation and a crackdown. "So far the factories have dismissed 4,899 workers due to the unrest," a senior police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.