Since protests in October demanding more excellent pay, garment factories in Bangladesh have dismissed hundreds of workers, according to three labor groups representing half a million workers who spoke to Reuters this week. Many others are on the run out of fear of being arrested.

The clashes that occurred during the rallies, which were held concurrently with larger anti-government demonstrations by the opposition in advance of the general election on January 7, resulted in the deaths of four workers and injuries to scores of others. Additionally, the police filed complaints against hundreds of individuals who have not been recognized for vandalism.

Although many workers consider the minimum wage too low, the government reached an agreement in November to boost it by more than 56%, bringing it up to 12,500 taka ($114) per month. The low wages in Bangladesh have contributed to the country’s rise to the position of the world’s second-largest exporter of garments, below only China.

It was believed by the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, the National Garment Workers Federation, and the Bangladesh Garments Workers Unity Council that between 1,000 and 5,000 workers had either been terminated from their jobs or had gone into hiding during the last two months.

However, Faruque Hassan, the president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, stated that he was not aware of any layoffs. He also stated that the industry organization will take action if “any such incidents are brought to our notice.”

In response to a request for comment, the Ministry of Labour in Bangladesh did not respond. A top police officer in Ashila, a hotspot for the garment industry, Momanul Islam, stated that the police had not detained any garment workers for participating in the demonstrations.

Out of the more than 4,000 garment factories in Bangladesh, around 4 million workers are employed to supply big Western brands.

In October, several companies, including Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF.N), Adidas (ADSGn.DE), GAP (GPS.N), Levi Strauss (LEVI.N), Puma (PUMG.DE), and PVH (PVH.N), as well as Under Armour (UAA.N), encouraged the government to guarantee that there was no retribution against workers who were demanding fair pay.

A textile worker named Delowar Hossin stated that he was terminated from his position at Ducati Apparels earlier this month without an explanation or compensation for severance benefits.

Hossin, currently employed as a mason part-time, stated, “I was just blocked and prevented from entering the factory.”

Khayer Mia, the managing director of Ducati, stated that around fifteen to twenty workers had vandalized the facility during the demonstrations; nevertheless, he stated that no staff had been terminated from their positions. He stated that Ducati paid all of its employees full pay even though the factory had been closed for ten days due to the demonstrations. “I love my workers and factory like my family,” according to him.