Govt plans to legalise trade union in RMG sector
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Jubair Hasan
The government has moved to legalise trade union in the garment industry through removing all barriers in the Labour Law-2006, officials said. Some changes in the act have been worked out to remove mistrust between workers and owners as workers' participation in labour-related affairs is poorly implemented in the readymade garment (RMG) sector which often leads to vandalism and street violence. The country's highest foreign currency earning sector had witnessed a series of violent workers' protests every year over various demands, including wage hike and better working condition. But workers' leaders, economists, global retailers and civil society members said the anti-industrial activities can be curbed by developing mutual understanding between the stakeholders. They also suggested for ensuring freedom of trade union as workers can not share their problems with the factory authorities that often cause violence. "We've completed proposals regarding the issue and it will be placed before the cabinet after holding a tripartite discussion among government officials, owners and workers' leaders," chairman of parliamentary standing committee on labour and employment Israfil Alam said. He said there are some provisions in the existing labour law that go against the freedom of associations. "Our main focus is to remove the barriers," the standing committee chief said. According to the law, the Department of Labour has informed factory management about the workers' approach to get registered that has put the aspirant workers' leaders into owners dock. Garment workers' leaders alleged that the factory management after being informed by the department punished or terminated the workers, who approached for registration. Mr Alam said they have made the proposals in line with the government's declared Vision 21 and ILO (International Labour Organisation) convention. "After getting green signal from the government, all the obstacles in forming trade union will be removed." President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin said there is an opportunity of trade unionism in the existing law. "But it doesn't happen in the industry due to lack of education and awareness as some so-called union leaders just work for personal interest by capitalising workers' concern," the BGMEA president said. "We don't need any further changes in the law. We should develop a culture where workers will be well aware of their duties and responsibilities," Mr Mohiuddin said. He said the apex apparel body made it mandatory for each of the garment factories to form participatory committee with representatives from management and workers to minimise the gap of mistrust between owners and workers. But union leaders termed the participation committee a worker-repression tool, saying that the management selects such members from the workers, who would be able to execute instructions of the owners. Appreciating the move, general secretary of National Garment Workers Federation Amirul Haque said the initiative will simplify the process of forming trade union. "It'll surely play a major role to bridge the gap between workers and management." "The attitude of the management towards the workers should be changed in a positive way to remove the grievances of the labour force," he said. Maren Boehm, a senior official of a buying house Otto Group, said last week in a roundtable that the owners should allow any move like forming trade union to ensure healthy industrial atmosphere in the RMG sector. Garment industry has accounted for nearly 80 per cent of the country's total export earnings by generating more than three million workforce, mostly women.
The government has moved to legalise trade union in the garment industry through removing all barriers in the Labour Law-2006, officials said. Some changes in the act have been worked out to remove mistrust between workers and owners as workers' participation in labour-related affairs is poorly implemented in the readymade garment (RMG) sector which often leads to vandalism and street violence. The country's highest foreign currency earning sector had witnessed a series of violent workers' protests every year over various demands, including wage hike and better working condition. But workers' leaders, economists, global retailers and civil society members said the anti-industrial activities can be curbed by developing mutual understanding between the stakeholders. They also suggested for ensuring freedom of trade union as workers can not share their problems with the factory authorities that often cause violence. "We've completed proposals regarding the issue and it will be placed before the cabinet after holding a tripartite discussion among government officials, owners and workers' leaders," chairman of parliamentary standing committee on labour and employment Israfil Alam said. He said there are some provisions in the existing labour law that go against the freedom of associations. "Our main focus is to remove the barriers," the standing committee chief said. According to the law, the Department of Labour has informed factory management about the workers' approach to get registered that has put the aspirant workers' leaders into owners dock. Garment workers' leaders alleged that the factory management after being informed by the department punished or terminated the workers, who approached for registration. Mr Alam said they have made the proposals in line with the government's declared Vision 21 and ILO (International Labour Organisation) convention. "After getting green signal from the government, all the obstacles in forming trade union will be removed." President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin said there is an opportunity of trade unionism in the existing law. "But it doesn't happen in the industry due to lack of education and awareness as some so-called union leaders just work for personal interest by capitalising workers' concern," the BGMEA president said. "We don't need any further changes in the law. We should develop a culture where workers will be well aware of their duties and responsibilities," Mr Mohiuddin said. He said the apex apparel body made it mandatory for each of the garment factories to form participatory committee with representatives from management and workers to minimise the gap of mistrust between owners and workers. But union leaders termed the participation committee a worker-repression tool, saying that the management selects such members from the workers, who would be able to execute instructions of the owners. Appreciating the move, general secretary of National Garment Workers Federation Amirul Haque said the initiative will simplify the process of forming trade union. "It'll surely play a major role to bridge the gap between workers and management." "The attitude of the management towards the workers should be changed in a positive way to remove the grievances of the labour force," he said. Maren Boehm, a senior official of a buying house Otto Group, said last week in a roundtable that the owners should allow any move like forming trade union to ensure healthy industrial atmosphere in the RMG sector. Garment industry has accounted for nearly 80 per cent of the country's total export earnings by generating more than three million workforce, mostly women.