Apparel makers fear trade unions in factories to destabilise RMG sector
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
FE Report
The apparel manufacturers Tuesday urged the government not to allow formation of trade unions in factories right at the moment as it might destablise the garments sector once again.
The country's leading apparel manufacturers were addressing a meeting on the present state of the apparel sector at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) office in the city.
Beximco Group vice chairman Salman F Rahman, FBCCI president Annisul Huq, former BGMEA presidents Tipu Munshi MP, Fazlul Hoque, Golam Mustafa Kuddus and a number of lawmakers were present at the meeting.
Nazrul Islam Majumdar, Chairman of Nassa Group, a leading garment manufacturer, said, "Trade unionism should not be allowed right at this moment."
FBCCI president Annisul Huq said, "Factories which revived trade union practices were forced to shut down their plants as a result of it."
A number of ready-made garment makers said they need parliamentary focus to resolve their problems relating to workers unrest, power and gas crisis being faced by the RMG factories.
Shariar Alam MP, said they might seek to form a parliamentary standing committee on garment to address its problems.
Addressing the meeting, Beximco vice chairman said the garment factories are passing through a tough time as its profitability was going down on the one hand and the production cost growing up due to the lack of power on the other.
He slammed the Power Development Board, Titas and Rural Electrification Board for severing their (apparel factories) connections.
"We've commercial relations with you (power and gas distribution agencies), so it's time to asses how much we are incurring losses following erratic power supply," he said.
"How our balance sheets are being affected due to power crisis," he added.
FBCCI president Annisul Huq said there will be no investment in the country in the next one and half years mainly because of power and gas crisis.
He said the commercial banks have more than Tk 300 billion idle money, due to lack of investment.
He said: "We want security, power and gas to ensure flow of investment in the country."
BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedhy moderated the meeting.
The apparel manufacturers Tuesday urged the government not to allow formation of trade unions in factories right at the moment as it might destablise the garments sector once again.
The country's leading apparel manufacturers were addressing a meeting on the present state of the apparel sector at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) office in the city.
Beximco Group vice chairman Salman F Rahman, FBCCI president Annisul Huq, former BGMEA presidents Tipu Munshi MP, Fazlul Hoque, Golam Mustafa Kuddus and a number of lawmakers were present at the meeting.
Nazrul Islam Majumdar, Chairman of Nassa Group, a leading garment manufacturer, said, "Trade unionism should not be allowed right at this moment."
FBCCI president Annisul Huq said, "Factories which revived trade union practices were forced to shut down their plants as a result of it."
A number of ready-made garment makers said they need parliamentary focus to resolve their problems relating to workers unrest, power and gas crisis being faced by the RMG factories.
Shariar Alam MP, said they might seek to form a parliamentary standing committee on garment to address its problems.
Addressing the meeting, Beximco vice chairman said the garment factories are passing through a tough time as its profitability was going down on the one hand and the production cost growing up due to the lack of power on the other.
He slammed the Power Development Board, Titas and Rural Electrification Board for severing their (apparel factories) connections.
"We've commercial relations with you (power and gas distribution agencies), so it's time to asses how much we are incurring losses following erratic power supply," he said.
"How our balance sheets are being affected due to power crisis," he added.
FBCCI president Annisul Huq said there will be no investment in the country in the next one and half years mainly because of power and gas crisis.
He said the commercial banks have more than Tk 300 billion idle money, due to lack of investment.
He said: "We want security, power and gas to ensure flow of investment in the country."
BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedhy moderated the meeting.