Two hotlines soon to receive RMG workers\\\' complaints

The government will introduce separate and dedicated desks shortly to register complaints related to workers' rights and other safety concerns in the country's readymade garment (RMG) industry, officials said.
The desks that would operate two hotlines-- confidential reporting channels-- will provide workers with an accessible and timely way to raise their voices about their rights, safety and other concerns without any fear, they added.
Using a mobile phone, the workers can report about their safety and security concerns through the helplines and the collected information would then be verified, and finally, if any serious safety concerns are found, it would be addressed, they explained.
Establishment of an effective complaint mechanism including hotlines for workers to confidentially and anonymously report fire, building safety and worker rights violations was also a requirement of the US Action Plan and the Sustainability Compact to revive the generalised system of preferences (GSP) in the US. The European Union too asked for the same facility, officials and sources said.
"We have already got two dedicated numbers from the telecom authority and will introduce the hotlines within a couple of days," Syed Ahmed, Inspector General of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) told the FE Saturday.
A small number of garment factories will be brought under this programme on a test basis, he said. Later the service will be introduced in all RMG factories located at the Ashulia industrial area targeting a total of 1,50,000 workers from mid- January of next year.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO), which  is providing technical support, has already hired a local company in this regard, Mr Ahmed added.
"The aim of the helplines is to provide factory workers with an opportunity to raise their voices against their safety concerns so that they can be heard carefully and the authorities also will act upon in a timely manner to avert any untoward incident," he said.
One of the two hotlines to register complaints related to trade unions will be operated by the Department of Labour. The other to address the safety and other compliance issues will be run by the DIFE, sources said.
Terming the initiative a new one, the DIFE IG said they are expecting to get complaints about the rights including non-payment of wages, non-compliance of maternity benefits, holidays and so on.
On the other hand, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety in May last rolled out such a helpline to enable the workers to report their concerns without fear of reprisal.
From the very beginning of the initiative for setting up the helplines for the workers, the factory owners were showing their reservation and also opposing the move just saying, "It could be used by the vested quarters to create anarchy in the RMG sector."
"To avert any kind of misuse of helplines, the workers are being trained up and the allegations received will be re-checked," said M Rabin, the Alliance managing director.
When asked, the DIFE IG said, they have no plan to train the workers initially but they will be made aware of the move through some publications.
After getting the feedback for a trial period of about six months, the initiative will be introduced in all the garment factories across the country, he added.
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