95pc RMG units pay timely: BGMEA

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Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has claimed that the vast majority of ready-made garment (RMG) units pay their workers timely, reports bdnews24.com.
"I would like to assure you that almost 95 per cent of RMG factories pay their workers better than just the minimum wage, and they do it diligently every month without fail," BGMEA chief Anwarul Alam Chowdhury Parvez said Wednesday.
"Similarly about 95 per cent of the workers are not rioting on the streets, but are peace-loving and hardworking people," added the BGMEA president, while speaking at an iftar party in the city.
Parvez also claimed that the press portrays BGMEA as a body working only for the industry.
Touching on employee welfare initiatives by the BGMEA, the business leader said they run 10 medical centres and schools for workers and their families, and also provide scholarships to 2,000 meritorious children of employees each year.
Mentioning a 25 per cent shortage of factory workers and mid-management staff, Parvez said the BGMEA in collaboration with the government has also started a skills development programme in 30 technical training centres across the country.
The Bangladeshi RMG industry is worth $10.7 billion and employs about 2.5 million people directly, with another 12 million whose livelihoods are indirectly dependent on the sector, according to Parvez. He hoped to set a target for $25 billion in exports by 2013.
"But we need all of your support and that of the next elected government to maintain political stability and ensure the right economic policies," he added.