Labour unrest: BGMEA seeks adequate security to run factories

Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Sunday urged the government to take action against those who are plotting against the country’s apparel industry and to provide adequate security for the factories to operate.

It also claimed that buyers are concerned about the ongoing unrest in the apparel sector and they are not placing new orders for the time being.

The BGMEA President Faruque Hassan came up with the remarks while speaking at a press briefing in its conference room in the city.

Faruque said, “It is very sad that various anti-industry activities have started, when we are engaged in a struggle to survive under the pressure of global and financial crises.

Especially our peaceful workers are being provoked and they are vandalizing factories in the name of movement even after hiking salaries.”

“If the industry loses its existence for any reason, millions of workers will become jobless, which is not expected.

And we have to remember that no sector has yet to be developed in the country to provide employment for the large number of workers,” he added.

“And the most dangerous thing is that if the large number of workers becomes unemployed, there is no ability to deal with the imbalance situation that will be created in the socio-economic context,” the BGMEA president opined.

Faruque also said that the owners of garment factories that face unrest or vandalism can keep those closed under Section 13(1) of the labour law, which means “no work and no pay.”

“If the workers of the closed factories come and say that they will join the work shunning the unrest, the owners will reopen them for production,” said the president of the apex body of the apparel sector.

He further said, “Give us adequate security to run industries. Politics and economics complement each other.

Remittance earnings from expatriates are experiencing a slowdown at the moment.

In this situation, the garment industry, one of the main sectors of export earnings, deserves special attention.”

He also alleged, “Disinformation is being spread against the garment industry on social media.

This is damaging the image of the industry and the country. Such activities are tantamount to treason.”

“For an example, rumors have been circulating that three people died at the Epilion factory, which is not true at all.

We strongly protest it,” he added. Following this, the BGMEA president urged the government to take strict action against those who are involved in such activities.

“The damage that has caused is that the buyers are holding orders. They will not be placing new orders if the situation continues.

Although, we are still trying to explain to them (buyers) that only 5 per cent of factories are affected (by the unrest) and we are trying to find a solution,” Faruque added.

Pointing out that the new recruitments will create an additional burden on the factories, the BGMEA president said, “If a factory has more work pressure, it will get the work done from other factories that have less work.

It will maintain a balance and mitigate somewhat the overcapacity that has been created.”

Recently, the minimum wage board for garment workers has set the minimum salary at Tk 12,500 from Tk 8,000 now. But the union leaders rejected the new wage and continued their protests.

At least 130 factories were closed for indefinite period as workers have continued to demonstrate in industrial belts demanding the increase of their minimum wage to Tk 23,000.