Mobile courts to ensure minimum wage for garment workers
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
The caretaker administration has decided to employ mobile courts to penalise garment factory owners who do not pay their employees the minimum wage, an adviser said Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com.
The government also plans to form participatory committees, which will mediate between workers and employers in each garment factory.
Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman made the disclosure while briefing reporters following a meeting on the garments sector at the Commerce Ministry on the day.
The adviser said the meeting had discussed the initial findings of a report from a committee tasked with investigating recent incidents of unrest in the garments sector.
The meeting also addressed labour rights and development of the sector.
UNB adds: The Commerce Adviser said the government would show zero tolerance to the garment factories not meeting social compliance issues despite repeated warnings.
"All action necessary will be taken against them," he told reporters, after a meeting of the Social Compliance Forum at the Commerce Ministry conference room.
Representatives from the ministries of Commerce, Labour and Employment, BGMEA, BKMEA, ILO and other stakeholders were present at the quarterly meeting of the forum.
The meeting was told that the authorities so far filed cases against 47 ready-made garment (RMG) factories for violation of labour laws.
Meeting sources said the performance in terms of compliance of 28 per cent factories out of around 5,000 was not satisfactory yet, while 56 per cent factories fully met the compliance issues.
"The factory compliance is gradually improving," said the Adviser as the meeting reported an improving trend since July last year.
He said the unfortunate issue of labour unrest has died down at present, but there are still concerns about the issue both from home and abroad, including buyers.
"We're conducting an investigation on the issue and the report will be submitted in two weeks," he said, adding that the stakeholders would discuss the findings and take necessary measures to solve the problems.
The government also plans to form participatory committees, which will mediate between workers and employers in each garment factory.
Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman made the disclosure while briefing reporters following a meeting on the garments sector at the Commerce Ministry on the day.
The adviser said the meeting had discussed the initial findings of a report from a committee tasked with investigating recent incidents of unrest in the garments sector.
The meeting also addressed labour rights and development of the sector.
UNB adds: The Commerce Adviser said the government would show zero tolerance to the garment factories not meeting social compliance issues despite repeated warnings.
"All action necessary will be taken against them," he told reporters, after a meeting of the Social Compliance Forum at the Commerce Ministry conference room.
Representatives from the ministries of Commerce, Labour and Employment, BGMEA, BKMEA, ILO and other stakeholders were present at the quarterly meeting of the forum.
The meeting was told that the authorities so far filed cases against 47 ready-made garment (RMG) factories for violation of labour laws.
Meeting sources said the performance in terms of compliance of 28 per cent factories out of around 5,000 was not satisfactory yet, while 56 per cent factories fully met the compliance issues.
"The factory compliance is gradually improving," said the Adviser as the meeting reported an improving trend since July last year.
He said the unfortunate issue of labour unrest has died down at present, but there are still concerns about the issue both from home and abroad, including buyers.
"We're conducting an investigation on the issue and the report will be submitted in two weeks," he said, adding that the stakeholders would discuss the findings and take necessary measures to solve the problems.