Hundreds of workers suffer from job loss

Al Amin :
Hundreds of workers in the country’s manufacturing sector are losing jobs as the factories are running below their capacity for the lack of raw materials, lower work orders, inadequate gas and electricity supply, the insiders said.
More than seven million people are working in the country’s manufacturing sector, but many of them are being dismissed with salary of one or two months or passing days with uncertainty.
The workers are now bewildered by losing their jobs and their families have fallen into a deep crisis. Many are returning to their own villages as they are not getting alternative employment opportunities.
Mohammad Shamim, works as a commercial manager of a reputed apparel factory in Savar, told The New Nation, “Many of my colleagues have already been suspended in last few months and we are passing days with uncertainty as we may lose job at any time.”
“We are trying to switch the company but failing to do it at the moment. Now, I am worried of my fate,” he said.
Md Arafat and his wife, used to work at a garment factory in Uttara, have lost their jobs recently. Arafat has already sent his family to his village (Mymensingh) as he did not get any alternative job to survive in Dhaka.
The people of the USA and European countries have taken austerity policy for reducing their purchasing capacity due to global recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Besides, production capacity has decreased significantly in factories for the ongoing unprecedented gas and electricity shortage in the country.
Even with high prices of the gas-electricity, the entrepreneurs are not getting uninterrupted power and energy supply, the manufacturers said.
The entrepreneurs are also being forced to lay off workers as their bank liabilities are increasing for higher production cost and low wok orders, they said.
The apparel manufacturers claimed that the global retailers and brands have
 been cancelling, delaying or putting work orders on hold in garment factories because of volatile global economic situation and for unsold stockpiling of the clothing items in their stores.
Mohammad Hatem, Executive President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) told The New Nation, “At least 20 per cent workers have lost their jobs from the apparel factories for last few months.”
“Besides, the employees work in sub-contracting factories–minimum 10 per cent of total RMG workers-have lost their jobs as most of the factories have been closed for having no production,” he added.
Mohammad Ali Khokon, President of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), said a lower consumption of clothing items by western consumers because of high inflation stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war has affected productivity at the domestic factories.
“Currently, almost all spinning and weaving mills are running at just over 30 per cent capacity because of the inadequate pressure of gas at industrial units,” Khokon said.
Besides, the manufacturers are failing to import raw materials due to dollar shortage, he added.