Simmering unrest in garment sector: Some issues
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Shahiduzzaman Khan
SIMMERING unrest in the country's ready-made garment (RMG) sector is continuing for the last few months. Tens of thousands of garment workers are taking to the streets at a regular interval and are engaging themselves in clashes with law enforcers, damaging factories, torching vehicles and blocking highways over the demand of increased wages.
In the commercial capital, workers' agitation in the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) turned violent and at least three people were reported to have been killed. Scores of people were injured in the series of violence that rocked the capital city, its surrounding areas and the commercial capital.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) claimed most of their members implemented the new wage-structure and the recent violence at readymade garment (RMG) sector was unrelated to the demand over increased pay. It said those who are yet to implement the wage board award, assured them of paying their workers in line with the recent pay-hike very soon
In the face of workers' protest, the labour minister urged the apparel workers to remain calm as the discrimination in the wage structure declared this year would be removed after scrutiny. He requested the protesting workers to place their suggestions over the wages to the government. However, the commerce minister said the unrest in the country's apparel sector was the outcome of the deepening global recession. Reduced orders, competitive price and profit margin pressures are now common in the RMG industry. This has compelled the owners not to pay compensation to workers, he added.
In addition to the workers' unrest, fire incidents are also hurting the garment sector. Very recently, a devastating fire in a Ha-Meem Group garment factory led to deaths of a number of workers and injury to hundreds other. As the factory gate remained under lock and key even after the fire broke out, the workers could not come out and died of suffocation, according to the eye-witnesses. However, the Ha-Meen group owner disputed this claim and said all doors of all gates remained open during the incident.
Accidents are not altogether avoidable in industries. But deaths of so many workers that could apparently be avoided indicate that something is seriously wrong with factory management and deserves to be addressed immediately. The dead workers are victims of factory owners' negligence to their safety and security. Persons responsible for such neglect should be given stringent punishment to bring others back to their senses. There were several incidents of fire during the last two decades that led to the death of more than 250 workers. But security situation at RMG factories still remains neglected.
Thanks to the hard work of the millions of workers, the RMG sector emerges as one of the highest foreign exchange earners for the country. It earns about three-fourths of the country's total earnings from exports of goods. Safety at the work place is an inalienable right of the workers. The death of a single worker means severe economic hardship for the victim's family of five. After-death compensation cannot be the answer to the problem. Casualties for neglect of duty in ensuring safety of workers should be dealt with an iron hand, so that such neglect does not recur.
One wonders whether the recent unrest in the RMG sector is part of a conspiracy to destroy the industry. Few months ago, the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Labour brushed aside such a notional view and pointed its finger at the owners of the garments factories where the violence were occurring regularly. In fact, workers of many garment factories are dissatisfied at the apparent breach of commitments by the owners. Many factories were shut down without serving notice. How could the management close the shutters before negotiating any deal with the workers? The workers reportedly claimed that they were poorly paid and getting no fringe benefits. Added to this, they were not getting regular salaries for months together. They turn violent when they witness their factories under lock and key. Labour law says an owner can lay off his industry by giving one month's notice to the workers, after paying their all outstanding dues and benefits.
On low wages of the garment workers, the Prime Minister spoke candidly of a stark disparity the other day. In many cases, she said, the money spent on day's shopping by an owner was more than the monthly salary of a garment worker. By oppressing the workers and depriving them of due benefits, no industry can enjoy sustained growth. Garment owners must keep this mind, she added. Such a reminder points to the widespread disparity between the two segments of people in the society.
That the garment workers are the least rewarded section of the society, has now come to the fore now. They are sending a message to the owners and country's political leaders that the industry cannot keep on neglecting them. More than 3.0 million people, the majority of whom are women, are now directly or indirectly dependent on the garment factories. The workers are getting on an average a paltry 60 US cents per day. Whereas many factory owners have prospered themselves, the workers have to work more than 8.0 hours a day and are not properly paid for the overtime they work. Very often the workers are sacked without reasonable ground. They sometimes demonstrate for an adjustment to their minimum wage, safe working conditions, weekly holiday and an end to their harassment. Such demonstrations become violent when deprivation crosses its limit.
Garment workers union leaders have reportedly raised a point about review of the grading system in the declared wage as the comparatively new workers are getting more benefit than the old workers under the new pay scale implemented from November. The grading system should be restructured to remove the confusion among the workers, they said. The parliamentary standing committee on labour and employment should sit over the matter with the owners and workers' representatives immediately.
It has been widely alleged that the attacks on the factories were a part of the 'conspiracy' to destroy the sector. Such an allegation cannot be ignored, regardless whether the conspiracy was internal or external. The government must uncover the actual reasons behind the recent and previous unrest in the sector. If there is any conspiracy of foreign 'origin', the government should go all-out to find out its roots. The owners should pursue the matter with the government in finding international links, if any, to such conspiracy.
The nation cannot afford the most vital sector of the industry to be frequently plagued by violence and disruptions. The atmosphere of seemingly never-ending volatility must give way to an amicable solution that will be durable. And the causes of the violence must be removed once for all.
szkhan@dhaka.net
SIMMERING unrest in the country's ready-made garment (RMG) sector is continuing for the last few months. Tens of thousands of garment workers are taking to the streets at a regular interval and are engaging themselves in clashes with law enforcers, damaging factories, torching vehicles and blocking highways over the demand of increased wages.
In the commercial capital, workers' agitation in the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) turned violent and at least three people were reported to have been killed. Scores of people were injured in the series of violence that rocked the capital city, its surrounding areas and the commercial capital.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) claimed most of their members implemented the new wage-structure and the recent violence at readymade garment (RMG) sector was unrelated to the demand over increased pay. It said those who are yet to implement the wage board award, assured them of paying their workers in line with the recent pay-hike very soon
In the face of workers' protest, the labour minister urged the apparel workers to remain calm as the discrimination in the wage structure declared this year would be removed after scrutiny. He requested the protesting workers to place their suggestions over the wages to the government. However, the commerce minister said the unrest in the country's apparel sector was the outcome of the deepening global recession. Reduced orders, competitive price and profit margin pressures are now common in the RMG industry. This has compelled the owners not to pay compensation to workers, he added.
In addition to the workers' unrest, fire incidents are also hurting the garment sector. Very recently, a devastating fire in a Ha-Meem Group garment factory led to deaths of a number of workers and injury to hundreds other. As the factory gate remained under lock and key even after the fire broke out, the workers could not come out and died of suffocation, according to the eye-witnesses. However, the Ha-Meen group owner disputed this claim and said all doors of all gates remained open during the incident.
Accidents are not altogether avoidable in industries. But deaths of so many workers that could apparently be avoided indicate that something is seriously wrong with factory management and deserves to be addressed immediately. The dead workers are victims of factory owners' negligence to their safety and security. Persons responsible for such neglect should be given stringent punishment to bring others back to their senses. There were several incidents of fire during the last two decades that led to the death of more than 250 workers. But security situation at RMG factories still remains neglected.
Thanks to the hard work of the millions of workers, the RMG sector emerges as one of the highest foreign exchange earners for the country. It earns about three-fourths of the country's total earnings from exports of goods. Safety at the work place is an inalienable right of the workers. The death of a single worker means severe economic hardship for the victim's family of five. After-death compensation cannot be the answer to the problem. Casualties for neglect of duty in ensuring safety of workers should be dealt with an iron hand, so that such neglect does not recur.
One wonders whether the recent unrest in the RMG sector is part of a conspiracy to destroy the industry. Few months ago, the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Labour brushed aside such a notional view and pointed its finger at the owners of the garments factories where the violence were occurring regularly. In fact, workers of many garment factories are dissatisfied at the apparent breach of commitments by the owners. Many factories were shut down without serving notice. How could the management close the shutters before negotiating any deal with the workers? The workers reportedly claimed that they were poorly paid and getting no fringe benefits. Added to this, they were not getting regular salaries for months together. They turn violent when they witness their factories under lock and key. Labour law says an owner can lay off his industry by giving one month's notice to the workers, after paying their all outstanding dues and benefits.
On low wages of the garment workers, the Prime Minister spoke candidly of a stark disparity the other day. In many cases, she said, the money spent on day's shopping by an owner was more than the monthly salary of a garment worker. By oppressing the workers and depriving them of due benefits, no industry can enjoy sustained growth. Garment owners must keep this mind, she added. Such a reminder points to the widespread disparity between the two segments of people in the society.
That the garment workers are the least rewarded section of the society, has now come to the fore now. They are sending a message to the owners and country's political leaders that the industry cannot keep on neglecting them. More than 3.0 million people, the majority of whom are women, are now directly or indirectly dependent on the garment factories. The workers are getting on an average a paltry 60 US cents per day. Whereas many factory owners have prospered themselves, the workers have to work more than 8.0 hours a day and are not properly paid for the overtime they work. Very often the workers are sacked without reasonable ground. They sometimes demonstrate for an adjustment to their minimum wage, safe working conditions, weekly holiday and an end to their harassment. Such demonstrations become violent when deprivation crosses its limit.
Garment workers union leaders have reportedly raised a point about review of the grading system in the declared wage as the comparatively new workers are getting more benefit than the old workers under the new pay scale implemented from November. The grading system should be restructured to remove the confusion among the workers, they said. The parliamentary standing committee on labour and employment should sit over the matter with the owners and workers' representatives immediately.
It has been widely alleged that the attacks on the factories were a part of the 'conspiracy' to destroy the sector. Such an allegation cannot be ignored, regardless whether the conspiracy was internal or external. The government must uncover the actual reasons behind the recent and previous unrest in the sector. If there is any conspiracy of foreign 'origin', the government should go all-out to find out its roots. The owners should pursue the matter with the government in finding international links, if any, to such conspiracy.
The nation cannot afford the most vital sector of the industry to be frequently plagued by violence and disruptions. The atmosphere of seemingly never-ending volatility must give way to an amicable solution that will be durable. And the causes of the violence must be removed once for all.
szkhan@dhaka.net