Nobody would say that the garment owners have not become millionaires riding on the back of these hardworking but poorly paid workers.
Like the factory owners, these workers are together the victims of the most vicious pandemic the planet ever experienced. This is far from being a normal time when nobody is, well-fed or hungry, sure of that he or she will survive to see another day. This is the time when we must together try to survive together.
When the garment workers were being dispersed reminding them of the danger of the coronavirus some of them were heard shouting it makes no difference to them if they die from the deadly virus or from hunger. They were expressing their frustration in terms of humanity and it is the humanity that is at stake.
It is true and we all know that the government has not allowed the factories or economic activities under limitations about the number of workers to be engaged to run their establishments. The lockdown restrictions have been relaxed but not withdrawn. These restrictions are clamped on the ground of saving lives when pandemic is raging in fury all over the world.
The country’s economy is in a shattered condition. So we understand how the pandemic has worsened the pain and helplessness of the people. On top of it we have a government unable to prepare itself to meet the challenges of the crisis. They declared lockdown and shutdown as directed by the World Health Organisation without things the government must to do to meet for the success of lockdown and shutdown policy guideline.
The government appears to be hiding behind the coronavirus for their safety forgetting the serious responsibility of saving the people from the jaws of the virus. They are blind for not to see how the governments of other countries are working stressfully day and night and facing questioning from the press about where they are failing. Our government itself looks like being under quarantine.
The fact is that the government arranged easy loan to garment owners to pay full salary of the workers for the month of March. It is said by the workers that there is mismanagement in paying the salaries ensured by the government. At least many of them also claimed that they have not paid back payments of few months. We are not anxious to blame anybody but the truth must be known to the factory workers.
The government allowed partial opening of economic activities but it was for the management to consider how to refuse others who have come in thousands to join their jobs. We have an unthinking government otherwise this position should have been made clear who to join and who to be refused.
The garment owners are highly educated and sensible. It is not understandable why they cannot speak in clear language and arrive at responsible arrangements. They should have known that with the news of opening of factories all the garment workers will be anxious to come for saving their jobs. The position has not been clarified.
The gathering of so many workers has certainly infected many workers with the coronavirus, and likely to face sure death. It was an obligation for the government as well as the BGMEA to protect them from being affected by the coronavirus. If they are forced to go to their homes in villages they will certainly be spreading the virus.
Our hope is that the enlightened garment factory owners will do their best to take care of their poor and illiterate workers on humanitarian grounds. They are not without resources and their power of putting pressure on the government is also considerable.
The extensive role of the poor garment workers in our economy is to be recognised at this time of their life and death. We are urging the garment owners to look after your workers for the next few months and see what happens.
The safety and security of us at stake because the government is proving itself pathetically incompetent to help us survive.
