Record 146 trade unions formed in RMG sector

FE Team | Published: April 26, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

The country witnessed formation of a record 146 trade unions in the 20 billion-a-year Readymade Garment (RMG) industry last year, a significant step in the much-talked about 'compliance issue', according to trade union activists and BGMEA.
"Bangladesh witnessed formation of a record 146 trade unions last year and more trade unions are to be formed in the coming days," M Atiqul Islam, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) told BSS Friday.
But US Senator Robert Menendez, in a statement on the anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy, said the Bangladesh government and the BGMEA must take immediate steps to end the suppression of fledgling trade unions by readymade garment workers.
Echoing Islam's view on the trade union, Nazma Akter, president of Sammilito Garment Sramik Federation, a platform of apparel workers, said there was a bar on formation of trade unions earlier but at present there was no bar now. "Trade union is going on well now," said the trade union activist.
Some 146 trade unions were registered last year alone, she said terming the figure a record in the country.
Talking to the news agency, Professor Dr Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), described the formation of trade union as a recognised right and said the rights were recognised in Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 and they were still there in the Labour Act (amendment-2011).
Referring to the conditions prescribed in the GSP Action Plan, Prof Mustafiz said there was no bar to form trade union in garment factories except the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) which had Labour Welfare Council instead of trade unions. Trade unions are legally recognised outside EPZ.
The economist said trade unions were being allowed in factories in Bangladesh and not only that the country was now working on how to make coherent the trade union and Labour Welfare Council.
Referring to Menendez's remark he said the US wanted to say that workers were being suppressed while forming trade unions but formation of trade unions were allowed here and even the formation process had been strengthened too in the amendment of the labour law in 2011.
Besides, he said, labour court had been fortified while the government had recently formed an arbitration council, said the financial analyst.