Labor unrest goes against sustainable RMG business and economy

Lenin Rahman:

Experts have expressed their deep concern on the unattainability of the salary and bonus of the RMG workers ahead of the Eid-ul -Azha, posing a threat to the export income and economy as well.

Many RMG workers staged demonstrations and blocked the highways, demanding their salaries and wages to mark the Eid festival with their dearest and nearest ones.

Actually, the labor unrest ahead of the Eid festival became a contemporary phenomenon, but the workers are not getting a permanent solution for getting their dues.

Although the State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian declared for assuring wages and bonuses ahead of the Eid vacation almost workers still did not receive their benefits.

The Muslims are going to celebrate the Eid-ul-Azha on Thursday, but most workers are passing into profound uncertainty in getting their salaries and bonuses before the Eid vacation.

According to a report by the Industrial Police, only 2.5 percent of industrial units paid the salary for the current month and the RMG workers of above 50 percent of industrial units did not receive their Eid bonus.

The industrial police report also disclosed that workers of some 337 factories did not get their salaries for the last month of May of which the number of the apparel industry is 128.

The Industrial Police are monitoring some 9,915 factories in Ashulia, Gazipur, Chattogram, Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Khulna, Sylhet, and Cumilla. Of the total industrial units, the workers of some 6,090 industries did not get their Eid bonus.

Riding on the Industrial Police data, still, 63.82 percent of industrial units did not distribute their bonus to their workers.

There are some 2,666 RMG factories conducting their business operation in the above eight areas, but the RMG workers of some 1,229 industrial units got their Eid bonus.

So far, some 66 RMG factories paid the salary of the current month, according to the industrial police report.

BGMEA Vice-President Shahidullah Azim told the correspondent that they are trying their best to provide the salary and bonus before the Eid vacation.

Already, factory owners started to pay the salary and bonus of the workers and the remaining factory owners are preparing themselves to pay their wages before the vacation.

Actually, the sub-contract-oriented RMG factory stakeholders are facing hardship to pay the salary and bonus of the workers, Azim informed.

Meanwhile, ROMO Fashion Today Chairman Mohammad Mohsin expressed tremendous satisfaction in ensuring the payment of the salary and bonus of the workers.

“Despite having difficulty, my company paid the salary for the current month and bonus among the workers. I am also facing hardship in getting export orders mainly for the adversity of the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, but my company authority is dedicated to paying the wages of the workers timely”, Mohsin added.

Against this backdrop, the business icon Mohammad Mohsin recently got CIP status from the government for his praiseworthy role in boosting the RMG export and economy as well.

However, Mohammad Mohsin mentioned that the demand for salary and bonus money ahead of the Eid festival is a rational demand of the workers, but many stakeholders are still facing severe hardship to conduct their business operations mainly for the acute financial crisis and shortage of the imported industrial raw materials.

Apart from this, the export order declined drastically after the pandemic transmission in the country, imposing hindrances for production and export as well, mentioned ROMO Fashion Today Chairman.

Mohammad Mohsin disclosed optimism about the recovering the business losses from the adversity of the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.

“It is my personal belief that the remaining stakeholders are sincerely putting utmost effort to pay the salary and the bonus money before the Eid vacation, so, I urged the workers to keep patience in getting their wages. A demonstration or road-blocking the highways is not a solution to get the hard-earned money of the workers, increasing public suffering for the home-bound people to celebrate the Eid festival”, added Mohsin.

Meanwhile, SM Mizanur Rahman, a reputed stakeholder and social expert lamented that the nation is going to celebrate the holy Eid-ul-Azha on Thursday, but more than half of the RMG factories did not provide the Eid bonus to the workers.

“Such an uncomfortable business atmosphere is not good for attaining a sustainable apparel business. Riding on the export success of the RMG sector from the 1980s, Bangladesh achieved robust economic growth, but the labor unrest is going against the attainment of a sustainable and vibrant economy. If this situation continues in the long run, surely Bangladesh may face labor and social unrest shortly”, predicted Rahman.

 Meanwhile, Mirza Walid Shipon, President of Jubo Economist Forum expressed deep concern about the prevailing situation of the workers regarding the uncertainty in getting their dues.

Due to the demonstration of the workers, several kilometers of severe traffic jams were created on both sides of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, imposing severe public suffering to reach their destinations.

Actually, the labor unrest in the RMG sector has been a matter of serious concern for the export and economic growth of the country.

“The contribution of the RMG sector to the national economy is vital, so, the stakeholders need to pay the dues of the workers before the Eid vacation. It is the highest foreign exchange earning sector and generating the employment opportunity in a vast scale for the poor, uneducated and unskilled women semi-educated people”, opined Mirza.

Commenting on the acute financial crisis of the RMG stakeholders, Mirza said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared state money for the affected stakeholders went into the pockets of the traditional borrowers. “If the state money had been distributed among the affected stakeholders, such a position would not create. Actually, the effort of the Premier to revamp business and economy went in vain mainly for the widespread corruption and financial irregularities”, lamented Mirza.