The country's sweater makers are switching over to automated production system to increase productivity of their units and also to ward off any possible labour unrest following the workers' growing demand for hiking piece-rate.
A good number of sweater units have already started installing required machines for automation, while others are actively considering it, industry insiders said.
Labour leaders said there are about 700 to 800 sweater factories in the country, employing around 5,00,000 workers. The sweater factory workers get their wage on the basis of piece-rate - the number of pieces they produce daily - and the rate is not fixed in the sector. Usually it is the owners, who fix the piece-rate.
The workers do not get other service benefits, like - overtime allowance, festival allowance, and leave benefit, they also said.
They are yet to be benefited by the new wage structure for garment workers, as there is no clear indication of wage hike in it for piece-rate workers.
Following the wage hike in the garment sector, the sweater factory workers demanded increase in their piece-rate. Several incidents of labour agitation took place recently, especially after Tk 5,300 was declared as the minimum wage, they added.
"About 15 to 20 per cent sweater factories have already started automation of their units to increase production by diversifying products, and also to avert labour agitation centring the payment system," Syed Sadek Ahmed, a director of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told the FE.
Rest of the factories, having manual machines, are also planning to go for automation, said Mr Sadek Ahmed, owner of a sweater unit.
He explained that an automated Jacquard machine is not only able to produce diversified and fashionable products, but can also fabricate critical designs, not possible with the manual ones.
Md Hatem, former vice-president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said complexities over the payment of workers are mainly experienced in the knitting sector, and automation is largely taking place in this segment.
He also informed that a manual machine needs one operator and can produce maximum five pieces a day. On the other hand, an automatic machine, operated by a single operator, can produce about 30 pieces a day. So, many owners are opting for those expensive automatic machines to remain cost competitive in the long run.
Industry people said they import the automatic machines, mainly from Germany, Japan and China. Chinese machines are comparatively cheaper than those of Germany and Japan.
Sirajul Islam Rony, president of Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees League, said some sweater factory owners started switching for automation. But it will take time to complete full automation of the industry, as the process requires a substantial investment of money.
He also admitted that demand for high-end products, increasing productivity, and avoiding labour agitation over the payment issue have prompted the unit owners to go for automation.
Meanwhile, the labour ministry on Wednesday finalized the draft guidelines for sweater factory workers to resolve the prevailing disputes over payment, workers' grades and other benefit-related issues.
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