Introducing TUs in apparel sector
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
MINISTERS and readymade garments (RMG) industry representatives and labour leaders decided, in a meeting held last Sunday -- only days after the violent labour unrest at a RMG unit in the Tongi industrial area -- to allow trade union (TU) activities in the country's apparel sector. Furthermore, a 12-member committee, headed by the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry of labour and employment, has been constituted at the meeting to find out the best possible way of introducing trade unionism in the sector, protecting the interests of both industry owners and workers.
The decision to introduce TUs in the RMG units, a move which has been opposed vehemently by the industry owners since long, upholds the workers' right to trade unionism, guaranteed under the law of the land. The RMG owners opposed the trade union activities in their units, fearing frequent labour troubles as had been witnessed in the past in the state-owned jute and textile mills and commercial banks having labour unions. But despite the absence of organised TU activities, the incidents of labour unrest have been very common in the apparel sector in recent years. Many lives were lost and valuable properties, including a number of RMG units, were damaged in such violent activities. What has been more damaging is the negative impact of such incidents on the overseas buyers.
The industry owners, in most incidents of violence, smelt conspiracy by local as well as foreign forces to destroy the biggest foreign exchange earning sector of the country. Politicians and a section of experts have also very often made similar accusations. In the context of competing interests of countries exporting the same commodity in bulk, there are many takers of the "conspiracy" thereby. However, no attempt has so far been made either by the government or any private agency to expose such conspiracies, if there is any. But the fact remains that there exists serious resentment among a section of apparel workers over low wage, irregular payment of wages and overtime allowances, festival allowance and poor working environment. It would be unfair to make blanket accusation. Actually, most owners have been trying to keep their workers satisfied. But there are a few errant factories where workers' interests are not protected well.
In the backdrop of frequent incidents of labour unrest, different quarters, from time to time, have advised both the government and the owners of apparel industries to allow TU activities with a view to establishing a communication channel between the workers and the owners. This has been a fair advice. For, in the absence of such a lawful channel, the workers failing to make known their grievances to the owners remain susceptible to outside provocations. However, introduction of TU activities in the apparel sector, a very sensitive one because of its role in the national economy, is easier said than done. It does need a careful consideration by all concerned. Actually, the labour leaders who attended the Sunday's meeting are not the true representatives of RMG workers. That is why the committee that has been entrusted with the task of finding the best possible way of introducing TUs in the sector, will need to consider measures to protect such entities from outside interference. The TUs in apparel units should be independent ones, having no links with outside organisations. Besides, the committee concerned should also visit some RMG factories and interact with workers there to get the first-hand suggestions.
The decision to introduce TUs in the RMG units, a move which has been opposed vehemently by the industry owners since long, upholds the workers' right to trade unionism, guaranteed under the law of the land. The RMG owners opposed the trade union activities in their units, fearing frequent labour troubles as had been witnessed in the past in the state-owned jute and textile mills and commercial banks having labour unions. But despite the absence of organised TU activities, the incidents of labour unrest have been very common in the apparel sector in recent years. Many lives were lost and valuable properties, including a number of RMG units, were damaged in such violent activities. What has been more damaging is the negative impact of such incidents on the overseas buyers.
The industry owners, in most incidents of violence, smelt conspiracy by local as well as foreign forces to destroy the biggest foreign exchange earning sector of the country. Politicians and a section of experts have also very often made similar accusations. In the context of competing interests of countries exporting the same commodity in bulk, there are many takers of the "conspiracy" thereby. However, no attempt has so far been made either by the government or any private agency to expose such conspiracies, if there is any. But the fact remains that there exists serious resentment among a section of apparel workers over low wage, irregular payment of wages and overtime allowances, festival allowance and poor working environment. It would be unfair to make blanket accusation. Actually, most owners have been trying to keep their workers satisfied. But there are a few errant factories where workers' interests are not protected well.
In the backdrop of frequent incidents of labour unrest, different quarters, from time to time, have advised both the government and the owners of apparel industries to allow TU activities with a view to establishing a communication channel between the workers and the owners. This has been a fair advice. For, in the absence of such a lawful channel, the workers failing to make known their grievances to the owners remain susceptible to outside provocations. However, introduction of TU activities in the apparel sector, a very sensitive one because of its role in the national economy, is easier said than done. It does need a careful consideration by all concerned. Actually, the labour leaders who attended the Sunday's meeting are not the true representatives of RMG workers. That is why the committee that has been entrusted with the task of finding the best possible way of introducing TUs in the sector, will need to consider measures to protect such entities from outside interference. The TUs in apparel units should be independent ones, having no links with outside organisations. Besides, the committee concerned should also visit some RMG factories and interact with workers there to get the first-hand suggestions.