JHENIDAH, Jun 05: As Eid-ul-Fitr is approaching fast, dress makers in tailoring houses in the district are bustling with huge work keeping the sewing men busy for around 17 hours a day.
However, apprentice tailors are rare to find as most unemployed youths have found themselves comfortable in driving easy bikes or some other professions where no prior training is needed.
Before the Ramadan started, a hard bargain took place between the Tailor Owners' Association of Jhenidah Sadar and Tailor Workers' Union for raising sewing rate per item. Last of all, it was decided to increase per item rate by Tk 6. The owners are charging the customers around Tk 50 per item of garments.
According to the price list of the tailor house in Jhenidah Sadar, a sewing worker is given Tk 121 for a Panjabi against customer charge of Tk 350 and Tk 122 for a pant against Tk 350, Tk 87 for three piece against Tk 200, Tk 92 for shirt against Tk 280, Tk 92 for simple veil against Tk 200, Tk 145 for gown veil against Tk 400 and Tk 180 for floor touch against Tk 600.
A total of about 300 tailor workers of 32 tailor shops in Jhenidah town are busy sewing cloths from 9 am to around 2 pm to meet the customers' demand.
Many workers including Sobuj Hossain (28), Sumon (19) and Yunus Ali (72) of Basir Tailors and Milon and some others of Dhang Tailors grumbled against their payment per item adding that they are not given any Eid bonus or treatment facilities.
Liton (28), a sewing worker from Modhupur village said, "I have got to pay Tk 1800 every week to a local NGO."
Muktaruzzaman (30), another dressmaker said that he had kept his ring and his wife's chain given by his in-laws with a jeweller to take some money on 5.0 per cent monthly interest.
Unlike the previous years, they saw peak seasonal rush of customers into the tailor shops.
Kabir Hossain, proprietor of Kabir Tailors said that after 20 Ramadan it would be impossible for them to take any new orders as the sewing labourers were struggling with the ones the customers already placed.
President of Jhenidah Sadar Tailor Labourers' Union Ariful Islam Shimul told the FE, "Around 90 per cent sewing labourers here have come into this profession with little education dropping out primary school for poverty.
"Saving money is tough for garment-makers. Moreover, many have got themselves deeply into debt. They need to pay weekly instalments after getting their wages. So, they do not have enough to store for future, Shimul added"
President of Tailor Owners' Association of Jhenidah Sadar Md Alamgir Hossain Pata, while contacted said that they raised per item sewing rate for the workers every time before the Eid-ul-Adha peak season.
[email protected]
