MORE than 1000 industrial units, including 612 apparel and textile factories, across the country are facing workers’ protests for providing wages and festival allowances. Though protests for realising wages and arrears are common before Eid, but this year it is more crucial for low-income people who have been undergoing hardship. The Covid-19 pandemic is also a threat for many industrialists as they lost their sale orders from European countries. Despite all odds, the owners of factories have to pay the wage and bonus to the poor workers so that they will survive and help grow the business after the pandemic. As entrepreneurs make profit and take risk as well, it is their responsibility to pay the wage, while the government and BGMEA can provide technical and financial support.
According to Industrial Police, there are 266 factories in risk in Ashulia zone, of which 144 are apparel and textile factories, and out of 514 risky industrial units in Gazipur zone, 307 are garment and textile factories. The data also show that there are 197 factories, including 96 RMG and textile units in Chattogram zone, where workers may become agitated for non-payment of wages and festival allowances while 85 factories, including 57 apparel and textile units, are in risk in Narayanganj. It is hoped that Industrial Police along with the leaders of BGMEA and BKMEA will take all possible initiatives so that workers will be paid their wages and allowances properly. BKMEA said that problems might take place to pay wages and festival allowances before Eid in the factories which are doing subcontracting as they are not getting support from the stimulus package announced by the government. Even some companies which export directly are also not getting loans from the stimulus due to lack of support from banks.
The garments sector is the prime driver of the economy, while the workers of this sector are the unsung heroes who work on a very low wage.
We ask the government to come up with financial support for the garments which are out of the list of the stimulus package to ensure payment of wages. It looks like a case of discrimination.
