| Point Counterpoint The awful plight of RMG workers Ripan Kumar Biswas
100 percent cotton slim fit T-shirts with "Made in Bangladesh tag."
I looked at the customer who was commenting on those T-shirts to his friends at H&M departmental store in New York. "Wow! These shirts are really nothing short of sumptuous and have unique luster and captivating look."
Starting in the late '70s, Bangladesh today has more than 5,000 garment manufacturing and exporting units to boost the country's economy. They employ about three million workers of whom 90% are women. The garment industries, in addition, support another 10 million to 15 million, or roughly 10 percent of the population.
Despite the financial meltdown and adverse economic situation in the consumer market worldwide, Bangladesh readymade garments (RMG) earned nearly 80 percent of the $15.56 billion export earnings in the 2008-09 fiscal year. Each year, RMG industries earn £1.6 billion from Europe and $2 billion from US, and are expected to double the earning, from $50 million to $1 billion, over the next two years from Japan, which is the world's fourth largest garment importer -- importing $23 billion worth of ready-made garments, mostly from China. Bangladesh managed to maintain its comparative advantage despite rising prices.
While Bangladeshi RMG is now widely considered as the lifeline of national income, clashes in the garment producing areas are continuing. The main issues are alleged victimisation of workers, back-pay, and non-implementation of previously agreed concessions. On occasions, strikes take place at individual factories, and the workers of nearby factories join in the demonstrations. Clashes with police, army and factory security continue, as do attacks on company property.
The recent death of three garment workers and injuries to 200, workers and police, in police firing during a clash at Tongi on October 31 is one more baneful example of unabated unrest in the garments sectos. According to the news, out of three, two people were killed on the spot as the police fired into Nippon Garment's workers rallying for arrear pay for three months and sudden closure of their factory without prior notice. A similar incident cost two lives and injuries to several hundreds workers of scores of factories at the Ashulia industrial zone over wage cuts and unpaid salaries in June.
The workers are allegedly being stripped of their rights, trapped like slaves, paid just a few pennies an hour, work exhausting hours, live in utter misery, and sacked, penniless and worn out, when they reach 35 years of age. Bangladeshi garment workers get the lowest wages in the world, with most getting only Tk. 800 to 950 ($13 to 15) per month, though a ten-point agreement was signed between the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturing Employers' Association (BGMEA), the government, and 12 garments workers' federations to ensure a minimum wage of $25. With overtime, a skilled garment worker can earn up to $150 a month.
According to law and international standards, women should not be made to work after 8 pm but, at times, they are asked to work until 10 pm or 11 pm. Sometimes they even work the whole night. In many cases there is no provision for maternity leave. Many factories do not have day-care centers, though, as per the agreements, they are now trying to catch up. In many cases, management does not pay the monthly wage and overtime payment by the 7th of the month. In hundreds of smaller factories monthly wages and overtime payments remain outstanding for 2/3 months. As the garment workers do not have appointment letters to use as proof of employment and the government turns a blind eye to their plight, owners of the garment factories can sack workers at any time without serving any notice.
Apart from these allegations against most of the garments factories, many of them are reportedly cutting wages to compete for orders with countries such as Vietnam, China, and India.
We are being told that a plot hatched by outsiders lay behind this current unrest. According to BGMEA, the incident was not the result of any worker unrest, rather it was planned sabotage to destabilise the industry on the eve of the Bangladesh apparel and textile exposition scheduled from November 5 to 7 in the city. The same was echoed by Israfil Alam, member of the parliamentary standing committee on labour and employment ministry, while, according to police and workers, the sudden shutdown without any prior notice fueled the agitation.
To normalise the situation and prevent future unrest, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the home ministry to take necessary action against the authorities responsible. "Whoever is found responsible for the incident will be dealt with severely," the home minister said. An intelligence agency had alerted the government a week ago about a possible unrest in the garments sector. The presence of police at the spot the previous night hinted at possible unrest as the owner was going to shut down the factory without any notice.
However, the government is yet to form a committee to probe the unrest, as was ordered by the home affairs ministry on Sunday. The government has decided to introduce trade union in the garments sector following a meeting between ministers, garment factory owners, workers and representatives of BGMEA. A trade union with proper safeguards to protect the workers' rights is always a good initiative. But Bangladeshi trade unionism is characterised by political activism and sudden strikes.
In May, Unite, the UK's largest trade union, signed a joint statement with the US-based union United Steelworkers and the German United Services Union in support of labour standards in Bangladesh. The joint statement is the result of growing international concern about labour standards in the Bangladeshi textiles sector. But it will require concrete action by all of the parties involved if it is to succeed in its aims.
Except a very few sceptics, none will disagree that the garment industry of Bangladesh has been the key export division and a main source of foreign exchange in the country. So something tangible should be done immediately, rather than accusing one another or leaving the real cause aside.
Ripan Kumar Biswas is based in New York.
E-mail: Ripan.Biswas@yahoo.com | |
