Trade
4 years ago

RMG workers to get 60pc of April wages

Stimulus lures factories into shunning layoffs

- File photo
- File photo

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Garment factories that remained closed during the public holidays would pay 60 per cent of workers' gross monthly wages for April, sparking protests from labour leaders, a senior official said.

They said the workers would get the full payment for the days they worked during the public holidays and there would be no layoffs in the garment sector, they added.

The decisions were taken at a tripartite meeting with leaders of textiles and garment factory owners' and unions held on Tuesday and Wednesday.

When asked, Shibnath Roy, inspector general of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), said workers would receive 60 per cent of their gross wages during the closure period, no matter whether they stayed in Dhaka or elsewhere.

No factory layoff, termination of workers during the period would not be tolerated, he said, adding they have received a list of some 938 factories that announced layoffs during the public holidays.

The officials, however, said 60 per cent wage payment for export-oriented garment workers in April was decided in a meeting held on April 22, presided over by cabinet secretary Anwarul Islam. Prime Minister's principal secretary, former and present presidents of the BGMEA and presidents of the BKMEA and BTMA were present in that meeting.

The recently-formed taskforce meeting took the decision after a central bank circular barred the laid-off garment factories from the Tk 50 billion stimulus package intended to help offset the export-oriented factories from the coronavirus impact, they added.

Out of the 938 laid-off factories, 95 per cent were readymade garment units, the DIFE officials said.

Some 536 factories are located at Gazipur, 207 in Dhaka, 91 in Narayanganj, 28 in Chattogram, 54 in Mymensingh, two each at Munshiganj and Narsingdi, five each in Rangpur and Sylhet and eight in Tangail, they added.

With the public holidays since March 26, most of the garment factories were also closed until April 25. From April 26, RMG units gradually reopened.

A section of labour leaders, especially affiliated with the IndustriAll Bangladesh Council (IBC) strongly opposed the wage payment decision terming it 'illogical' and 'illegal'.

The majority of the council-affiliated trade unions, however, did not attend the Wednesday's meeting chaired by state minister for labour Monnujan Sufian.

Salauddin Shapon, president of Bangladesh Revolutionary Garments Workers Federation, said the majority of the IBC affiliated federations who represent the RMG sector boycotted the Wednesday's meeting as the decision was taken without discussion with them.

He termed the decision illogical and illegal, raising the question as to how a worker would lead his life during the pandemic with 60 per cent of his total salary.

He, however, urged the government to suspend the provisions of 12, 16, 20 and 26 of the labour law temporarily to refrain factory owners from announcing lay-off and terminating workers.

Workers, who have less than one year job experience would get no wage and other benefits, he said, adding how they would maintain their livelihoods.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said the workers currently outside Dhaka will receive their wages through mobile banking and they need not come back now.

Mr Shapon alleged that the factory owners are not paying heed to the BGMEA's instruction as mid-level management is asking workers to rejoin.

Industrial Police said a total of 2,356 units remained open on Wednesday. Of them, 981 are non-RMG units and 259 are under the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA).

Of the reopened factories, 817 are members of the BGMEA, 214 are registered with the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, and 85 listed with the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association.

A total of 554 factories did not pay wages and other allowances until Wednesday.

Of them, 353 are non-RMG, seven BEPZA members and the remaining 194 textile and garment factories listed with the three trade bodies.

Workers from a dozen of garment factories located at Ashulia, Gazipur and in Chattogram demonstrated on Wednesday on different issues, including wage payment and reduction in March wages, according to the police.

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