Brutalities against garment workers

INCOMPETENCE of the authorities is reflected in the demise of its citizens has already been established in the launch capsize in the Padma river, which killed over 100 people and injured many others. Every year the government is faced with the same damning issues, and the government chooses to turn a blind eye and divert the protesting public elsewhere, sometimes by the use of undue violent force. It is the latter that has taken place in front of the Tuba Garment factories, where scores of peaceful protesters were beaten up and shooed away by the police and other affiliated parties of the government. The picture of beating and forcefully whisking away a female trade unionist is a demonstration of brutality that the police inflicted in driving away the protesting Tuba workers on Thursday. Dodging rubber bullets and covering themselves from teargas canisters, many Tuba Group workers (who were observing an indefinite hunger strike for the payment of their due wages) were seen running for their lives from the police’s harsh treatment. In order to disperse the peacefully protesting workers, law enforcers cut off water supply to Hussain Super Market, where the workers on hunger strike were stationed, and also locked the building up in order to scare and confine the ones inside. According to reports, journalists and doctors were also barred from entering the premises. The intent of the forced confinement was to drive fear into the hearts of the workers so that they would succumb to the demands of the Tuba Garment owners to go to the BGMEA Bhaban and collect partial payment of their 3-month salaries and Eid bonus. According to reports, police stationed near the building directly denied any involvement in the ‘locking up’ of the workers and instead rebuked Professors of reputed public universities for expressing solidarity with the garment workers. Chaos increased when some ruling party men and a group of trade union activists supporting BGMEA’s stance started beating up the protesters. Shiuly, a sewing operator, shared her woes of how she and other workers went to BGMEA offices many times but received no response. “Now suddenly it offers us two months’ salary? We want full payments, including Eid bonuses.” The workers have a right to their full arrears and the partial payment seems like nothing but a mere band aid solution concocted by corrupt bigwigs in the garment industry to deprive the powerless poor of their earnings and get away with their misconduct. The worst of it all is that the government is siding with these corrupt individuals and facilitating the violation of their rights.According to the garment workers platform, around 583 of the 1,458 workers employed at five factories of Tuba Group received two months’ salaries from the BGMEA. Instead of feeling joy, looks of fear and discontentment were seen on the workers faces when journalists tried to interview them. Not all succumbed to the unethical pressure of collecting partial payments though. The rest of the garment workers are still on hunger strike and are demanding their basic rights be upheld and they are paid what is due. The owners of garment industries and its association BGMEA should maintain good relationship with the workers. They should not make the mistake of relying on police power for peace in the garment sector. The Minister concerned is of no use.