Bangladesh garment workers reject wage hike, walk off job

Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers downed tools and walked out of clothing factories Monday, refusing to end a week-long strike over wages and rejecting government efforts to end the standoff.

Police said thousands of labourers marched off factory floors for an eighth consecutive day, disrupting Bangladesh's USD 30-billion-a-year industry spinning clothes for major western brands.

Unlike previous days, there were no reports of violence. One worker was killed last week after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at some 5,000 protesters.

In Ashulia, near the capital Dhaka, armoured personnel carriers and hundreds of police guarded factories in the country's largest garment hub.

A message broadcast over loudspeakers urged protesters to return to work: "A list is being prepared of those who are roaming around. No violence will be tolerated." As the strike entered a second week Sunday, the government brokered a deal between unions and manufacturers to end the dispute, agreeing to