Owners to meet RMG workers' demands across the board

Garment-factory owners on Tuesday agreed to meet all 18-point demands of protesting workers to restore normalcy in the industry as over 50 factories in the Ashulia and Gazipur hubs suspended their operations on the day.

According to a tripartite agreement, the attendance bonus has been increased by Tk 225, tiffin by Tk 10 and the night allowance has been set to be at least Tk 100 by increasing Tk 10.

On the day before, labour leaders at a meeting put forward the 18-point demands compiled based on the requirements of agitating workers from various RMG factories.

The consensus came at a tripartite meeting held at the labour ministry on Tuesday, when Labour and Employment Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman announced the development at a press briefing after the meeting.

Four advisers of the interim government, union leaders and leaders of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) were present at the press briefing.

They also signed a tripartite statement agreeing to meet all the demands of the workers' representatives.

Labour and Employment Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan said normalcy is expected to return in the industrial belts from today (Wednesday).

Factory owners and labour leaders have issued a joint statement agreeing to implement immediately all the 18 points of the workers' demands, he noted.

Echoing Mr Bhuiyan, Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury also urged the workers to go back to their workplaces on Wednesday.

Speaking at the briefing, Labour Secretary Shafiquzzaman said the factory owners agreed that the minimum wage would be implemented in all factories by next month (October) and all the units would clear the dues by October 10.

RMG factory owners also agreed that employment would be ensured based on merit, without discrimination between men and women according to the types of work.

As per the joint statement agreed by both the owners and workers' leaders, workers could not be retrenched unfairly or unjustly in violation of labour laws and the period of maternity leave would be 120 days.

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and the food ministry would provide daily necessities at affordable prices in the labour-intensive areas and a proposal would be submitted to the relevant government authorities for a permanent ration system for the workers, it added.

Factory owners agreed to establish daycare centres in all factories in accordance with the labour law.

A committee, led by an additional secretary of the labour ministry with three representatives each from owners and workers will scrutinise the capability of the industry regarding wage review within six months.

Accordingly, it will recommend measures regarding the demand of 10 per cent annual increment considering current inflation and labour law by November this year.

A technical committee would submit its report over harassment of workers using BGMEA's workers' biometric database while a central monitoring system would be established to look into the issues related to jhut (garment waste) trading.

Measures would be taken to compensate the families of four deceased workers during the 2023 wage hike protests and cases against workers engaged in wage protests would be reviewed and resolved by the law ministry.

Labour leaders would submit a list of dead and injured workers during July movement to the labour ministry and measures would be taken in this regard, while compensation to the victim families of the Rana Plaza building collapse and Tazreen Fashions fire would be ensured, according to the statement.

The consensus reached against the backdrop of labour unrest in the industrial belts, especially Ashulia and Gazipur, as workers again started demonstrations from Sunday last over a number of demands, including fresh wage hike, following a calm situation prevailing throughout the last week.

Hundreds of factories in Ashulia and Gazipur suspended operations for more than two weeks over labour unrest that began on August 29 for wage and other dues payments, an increase in different allowances and others.

Meanwhile, about 58 garment factories in the major industrial belts of Savar Ashulia and Gazipur on Tuesday also suspended operations as workers continued their protests over various demands, including wage hike.

Some 44 and two factories in Ashulia and Gazipur were closed in line with labour law provision of 13 (1) that states 'no work no pay' respectively while the rest 12 announced paid holidays as workers either left or did not work after joining in the morning.

Munni_fe@yahoo.com