50 non-compliant RMG units being relocated for safety

Owners of some non-compliant readymade garment (RMG) factories have started relocating their units to new places.
Many of them are considering such an option for their survival in the face of ongoing work-place safety issues, industry insiders said.
But, non-availability of suitable lands, gas and electricity, and unwillingness of the factory workers to be shifted have emerged as major impediments to the initiatives of such factory owners, they mentioned.    
Some of the owners, especially whose factories are located at shared or rented buildings, are being forced to shift them to other areas against the backdrop of the ongoing factory inspections on workplace safety by the western retailers and government.
Despite having such hurdles, some factory owners have already started shifted their machinery to new locations, the insiders said.
They are worried over the availability of utility services especially gas and electricity, they added.
On the other hand, labour leaders alleged that workers are losing their jobs and are deprived of their lawful rights of compensation and other service benefits following such relocation move.
Reaz-Bin-Mahmood, vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) also confirmed that more or less 50 factories have already been shifted or are in the process to relocate mainly on safety and compliance grounds.
"But land scarcity is the main hurdle for relocation," he said adding many of the manufacturers want to relocate but fail due to land scarcity while some have expanded the existing capacity and a few are setting up their factories on their own lands.
Infrastructure, especially gas and electricity, is another problems faced by the manufacturers who are shifting, he said seeking uninterrupted supply of these two vital utilities for the sake of the industry.
Relocation of machinery is easy but it is difficult to convince the workers to migrate from one place to another due to lack of facilities for their accommodation, education of their children and other reasons, he admitted.   
"I am not closing down the unit but shifting to Savar Nabinagar due to pressure from buyers, the government agencies and also BGMEA because of safety grounds," Nur-E-Alam Siddique, group chairman of the Doreen Group said.
"No workers would lose their job as I have assured them that they would work in a better and compliant place," he said. The authority has also agreed to provide transportation for the workers as they are skilled ones for three months so that they could find accommodation there.
"But despite this, the workers are not willing to shift. If any worker is reluctant to join duty at the new place, it is his or her responsibility," he said adding there are no dues or arrears.
But on August 24, workers of the Doreen Fashion located at Shewrapara gathered in front of the BGMEA and requested the apparel apex body to resolve the service benefit issues as most of them are not willing to move from the present place.
Bilkis, a worker who is working at the unit for more than 10 years, demanded her service benefits saying it is not possible for her to leave her present dwelling place, especially because of schooling of her kids and her husband's workplace.
Anjan Shekhar Das, whose factory RSI Apparels Ltd was closed following the Alliance's inspection programme, is looking for land to relocate his unit but is yet to get a suitable one.
"Since the shutdown of my factory RSI, I have been searching a place to relocate the unit maintaining all the safety and compliance issues," he said adding,
"The place I have found is another shared one or located in a market where fresh investment is not viable." "If again I set up the unit at a shared or rented building, buyers would not place work orders," he said demanding a garment village especially for the Chittagong-based units saying the port city factories would not shift to the capital city.
He requested the government to provide fund at a low interest rate especially for the closed factories so that they can relocate their units to safer places.
Sirajul Islam Rony, a labour leader, said about 50 to 60 factories have started relocation but no workers have been paid according to the law.
"Many of them have compensated the workers on the basis of negotiations while some assured them of payment," he said. Workers should be compensated according to the law of the land and the government should strictly monitor its enforcement, he said.
According to industry insiders and government officials' primary estimation, at least about 700 to 1,000 factories, especially located in shared or rented buildings, need to be relocated from the city.
However, industry insiders have raised question over relocation as to whether it would ensure all the safety standards saying the relocation is not taking place according to plan and also in a scattered manner.
But the BGMEA leader said there is hardly any chance for not to be compliant as they are relocating following the safety requirements of the buyers.
When asked, Inspector General of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments Syed Ahmed said some manufacturers have already started the process of relocation which is positive for owners, workers and for the industry.