It's urgent to address RMG workers unrest

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Shahiduzzaman Khan Simmering unrest in the country's ready-made garment (RMG) sector is continuing for the last few days. Tens of thousands of garment workers are taking to the streets at a regular interval and are engaging themselves in clashes with law enforcers, damaging factories and blocking highways. After Rana Plaza building-collapse tragedy, workers' agitation has been on the increase in Ashulia and Savar industrial belt and is spreading to Gazipur, Dhaka city, Narayanganj, Chittagong etc. Besides demanding adequate safety and security measures at their work places, they are now pressing for substantial wage-hike and other fringe benefits. The developments in the ready-made garments (RMG)sector have seriously blurred the prospects for earning $3.6 billion dollar in export receipts by the units in the Ashulia garment belt as a good number of orders, already placed by foreign buyers, are about to be cancelled. The trouble has hit the entrepreneurs when the country's garment sector is facing some adverse circumstances, caused by global recession which has reduced the country's export orders to a considerable extent. These are bad omens for the sustained growth of the country's RMG industry that encompasses both woven and knitted apparels. The government is not apparently yet able to play its due role in protecting the factories in the troubled belt. Already 30 factories were shut down by the owners. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) claimed that some vested quarters inside the country, at the instigation of international trouble-makers, were creating unrest in the apparel sector to divert business to elsewhere. Two consecutive fatal accidents in the sector have already tarnished the image of the country to a considerable extent. Accidents are, however, not altogether avoidable in industries. But deaths of so many workers that could apparently be avoided would indicate that something is seriously wrong with factory management and deserves to be addressed immediately. The dead workers are victims of factory owners' negligence towards their safety and security. Persons responsible for such neglect should be given stringent punishment to bring others back to their senses. There were several incidents during the last two decades that led to the deaths of nearly 1500 workers. But the security situation at apparel-making factories still remains vulnerable. Thanks to the hard work of the millions of workers, the apparel sector has emerged as one of the highest foreign exchange earners for the country. It earns over three-fourths of its total earnings from exports of goods. Safety at the work place is an inalienable right of the workers. The death of a single worker means severe economic hardship for the victim's family, having four or five members of it. After-death compensation cannot be the answer to the problem. Casualties for neglect of duty in ensuring safety of workers should be dealt with an iron hand, so that such neglect does not recur. One wonders whether the recent unrest in the apparel sector is part of a conspiracy to destroy the industry. In fact, workers of many garment factories are dissatisfied at the apparent breach of commitments by the owners. Many factories were shut down without serving notice. How could the management put the shutters down, before negotiating any deal with the workers? The workers reportedly claim that they are poorly paid and get no fringe benefits. They turn violent when they witness their factories under lock and key. Under the provisions of the labour law, an owner can only declare a lay-off of his industry by giving one month's notice to the workers, after paying their all outstanding dues and benefits. In fact, workers in the apparel-making sector are the least rewarded section of the society now. They are sending a message to the owners and country's political leaders for the last few years that the industry cannot keep on neglecting them. More than 4.0 million people, the majority of whom are women, are now directly or indirectly dependent on the garment factories. The workers are getting, on an average, a paltry amount of 60 US cents per day. Whereas many factory owners have prospered themselves, the workers have to work more than 8.0 hours a day and are not properly paid for the overtime they work. Very often the workers are sacked without any reasonable ground. They sometimes demonstrate for adjustments of their minimum wage with the rate of inflation, safe working conditions, weekly holiday and an end to their harassment. Such demonstrations become violent when deprivation crosses its limit. Many owners alleged that the attacks on their factories were a part of the 'conspiracy' to destroy the sector. Such an allegation cannot be ignored, regardless whether the conspiracy was because of internal or external factors. The government must uncover the actual reasons behind the recent and previous unrest in the sector. If there is any conspiracy of foreign 'origin', the government should go all-out to find out its roots. The government has already announced a wage board for the garment workers. The workers are demanding Tk 7000 as the monthly minimum wage. The wage board needs to finalise the wage structure for the workers on a priority basis. It needs to complete its work without much delay. Furthermore, it has to review objectively the wages of the workers after every three years and ensure that, at a minimum, the cost of living adjustments are made by the factories. There should also be a built-in provision for annual inflation adjustment under the new wage structure, to be recommended by the relevant wage board. The challenges facing the Bangladesh garment industry are enormous. In order to thrive, the industry needs to get regular orders from international buyers. These buyers are primarily interested in three factors: price, lead time, and quality. But other factors are also important, such as financial capacity of manufacturers, labour compliance standards, customer base, vertical set-up, design and product development capability, advanced production facilities, dependability, and long-term business relationship for upscaling its sphere of activities. Bangladesh is offering these services to its existing clientele. The nation cannot afford the most vital sector of the industry to be frequented by violence and disruptions. The environment of a seemingly never-ending volatility must give way to an amicable solution that will be durable. And the causes of the violence must be removed once for all. szkhan@dhaka.net