Security & Safety Concern: a Study on Rmg Sector of Bangladesh Essay Sample
The readymade garment ( RMG ) sector has been playing an of import function in the overall economic development of Bangladesh. For a long clip developing states have strived for a development paradigm that would accomplish high economic growing taking to employment coevals and poorness relief. The RMG industry of Bangladesh started its modest journey in late seventiess and within three decennaries. it has been a booming sector.
In the fiftiess. developing economic systems like Hong Kong. Taiwan and South Korea presented themselves as good finishs for resettlements. . In order to command the degree of imported RMG merchandises from developing states into developed states. Multi Fiber Agreement ( MFA ) was made in 1974. The MFA impose quotas on states that exported at a higher rate than the bilateral understandings. in that restricted state of affairs. manufacturers began to seek those states were non included in quotas and had cheap labour. AT that clip Bangladesh began to have investing in RMG sector. In the beginng a figure of Bangladeshis received free preparation from Korean Daewoo Company in 1980s. After that the workers broke ties with the mill they were working for and came back to Bangladesh. they started their ain mills. The export-oriented RMG industries experienced impulse development throughout last 20 or so old ages. Reaz Garments. the innovator. was established in 1960 as a little tailoring outfit. named Reaz Store in Dhaka.
It served merely domestic markets for about 15 old ages. In 1973 it changed its name to M/s Reaz Garments Ltd. and expanded its operations into export market by selling 10. 000 pieces of men’s shirts deserving Gallic Franc 13 million to a Paris-based house in 1978. It was the first direct exporter of garments from Bangladesh. Desh Garments Ltd. the first non-equity joint-venture. had proficient and marketing coaction with Daewoo Corporation of South Korea. It was besides the first 100 per centum export-oriented company. It started its production in early 1980. Another South Korean Firm. Youngones Corporation formed the first equity joint- venture garment mill with a Bangladeshi house. Trexim Ltd. in 1980. Bangladeshi spouses contributed 51 % of the equity of the new house. named Youngones Bangladesh. It exported its first cargo of cushioned and non-padded jackets to Sweden in December 1980.
The RMG sector has developed here quickly because it is a labour intensive industry that requires ordinary engineering. inexpensive labour and small capital. Within a short period. Bangladeshi entrepreneurs got familiar with the universe garments markets and selling. They acquired the accomplishment of leving resources to export-oriented RMG industries. Bangladesh was found bettering attractive sourcing topographic point by foreign purchasers. In many instances. foreign purchasers extended suppliers’ recognition under particular agreements to take advantage of this inexpensive beginning. The proposition of working capital was extremely solved with the formation of consecutive missive of recognition. which besides aided import of quality cloth and the basic natural stuff of the industry. The authorities allocated high precedence to the growing of RMG industry.
Contribution of the RMG sector in national economic system is great. It is the highest foreign exchange gaining sector. The RMG sector has been capable to alleviate the state from the load of unemployment by making employment chances. Bangladesh is known as a hapless and over-populated state enduring with a batch of jobs. It has been able to make employment chances for approximately 3. 5 million of people. most of whom are hapless. uneducated and unskilled adult females from the rural country. Besides. it has been able to pull foreign direct investing. accelerate industrialisation procedure. relieve poorness to a certain extent and make a good image of Bangladesh in the universe. In recent old ages. labour unrest in RMG sector of Bangladesh has been a affair of serious concern.
But this sector is contending with a figure of jobs. Controversy between proprietors and workers. lack of gas and electricity. hapless substructure. lead clip complexnesss. confederacy of place and abroad. political intervention. regional and international advancing rivals. deficiency of effectual authorities policies. and deficiency of enterprises to seek international markets etc. In recent clip. labour unrest in the RMG sector has been a affair of serious concern. Almost every twenty-four hours electronic and print media cover intelligence of labour unrest in RMG sector in one topographic point or another across the state.
The RMG industry of Bangladesh has come a long manner. This industry has proved that it can keep competition despite negative anticipations and hardships. This sector is non merely assisting the country’s economic system by gaining important sum of foreign exchange. but has besides brought about a major displacement in developing support industries. employment coevals. and adult females authorization. Since the country’s economic promotion depends well on development of this sector. strong committedness and policy support from the authorities are needed to the sector survive in the quota-free competitory international market.
Present Situation:
Safety is a really of import and compulsory production map. Safety oversights are serious affairs and the governments concerned are harshly punished by the safety regulative governments for any Acts of the Apostless of skip and committee. Unfortunately in Bangladesh. province safety ordinance and intercession are highly hapless. Like everything else. it is besides assigned more to a everyday than any bar or review map – based merely on the caprices and desires of the mill proprietor. Over decades no worthwhile safety audit has been seen. non even any sort of probe or positive steps from the RMG mill proprietors or review governments who are chiefly responsible for safety in the work topographic point. The office of the Chief Inspector of Factories ( CIF ) under the Ministry of Industry is the chief organisation responsible for sing industries and to guarantee wellness and safety conformity of the industries. However. this office is non equipped with equal staff and logistics. Labor Unrest in 2010:
RMG sector faced grim labour unrest for pay hiking in 2006. Since so labour unrest took topographic point in the sector about every twelvemonth. In 2010. Bangladesh garment mills were hit by months of violent protests. From January to June 2010. there were more than 80 public violences. On 20 June 2010. They were showing for a 5. 000 taka minimal pay. It forced the authorities and mill proprietors to hold to increase rewards by 80 per centum. or a minimal US $ 37 per month. The export of garments. which made US $ 19 billion for the destitute state last twelvemonth. is the main support of the economic system of Bangladesh. accounting for 80 per centum of its entire cargos. Many experts and industry insiders describe it as a confederacy by certain national or international vested quarters. although it requires equal grounds to turn out the engagement of such plotters. Table: pay Structure of RMG workers
Grade with postsBasic Pay ( 40 % of Basic ) Medical AllowanceNet Salary Grade 1: Pattern Master. Chief. Quality ControllerTk. 6500Tk. 2600Tk. 200Tk. 9300 Grade 2: Mechanic. Electrician etc. tk. 5000Tk. 2000Tk. 200Tk. 7200 Grade 3: Sample mechanist. Senior machine operatorTk. 2870Tk. 1148Tk. 200Tk. 4218 Grade 4: Stonecutter. bagger. quality inspector etc. Tk. 2615Tk. 1046Tk. 200Tk. 3861 Grade 5: Junior machinist. operator etcTk. 2395Tk. 958Tk. 200Tk. 3553 Grade 6: Operator of general run uping etc. Tk. 2230Tk. 892Tk. 200Tk. 3322 Grade 7: Assistant run uping machine operator etc. Tk. 2000Tk. 800Tk. 200Tk. 3000
Labor Unrest in 2012:
After a long period of comparative quiet. workers are once more taking mass action in the Bangladeshi garment industry. In June 18th 2012 though there has been besides been problem at nearby Naragayanj. the agitation is centered on Ashulia where approximately 500. 000 garment workers are employed in 350 mills. during labour unrest at Ashulia in May and June of 2012. the sector people. experts. research workers. authorities functionaries and lawgivers tried to cognize the existent causes behind the unrest as it was non related to pay hiking. On 23rd October 2012 15. 000 Bangladeshi garment workers blockade a cardinal main road in protest at unpaid rewards. Meanwhile. foremans at the company. On November 24. the hell that broke out at Tazreen Fashions in Ashulia killed 111 workers and critically injured many who tried to get away the decease trap. Other issues that relate to the labour agitation:
There are some other jobs which are linked with this sector – Weak and unequal substructures such as hapless energy supply. hapless port installations. a little figure of fabricating methods. non-tariff limitation. inability or deficiency of attempts to diversify the merchandises and markets of the RMG sector in Bangladesh. As there is no proviso for trade unionism. they don’t have any entree to the policy-making procedure. In such a state of affairs. they come to the street to raise their voice and involve themselves in hooliganism and violent disorder. Despite holding a important accomplishment in national economic system. labour unrest in this sector is decreasing all its recognition. In order to last in the quota-free competitory international market. turn toing labour agitation has been a shouting demand.
History is the evident that the effusion of work force deducing from their battle for a low life can ne’er be put down. Coercive steps to scatter the perturbation merely fire up the work force which can take the form of a revolution. Taking necessary stairss to work out labour unrest in RMG industry is a demand of clip.
Causes and Impact:
If we see at the Export of RMG in January- March of FY 2012 was 614. 812 million tk. RMG Export in April- June of FY 2012 was 596. 894 million tk. . which was lesser than past three months because of work force agitation and other factors. Export of RMG in July- November of FY 2012 was 7563. 470 million US $ . which was lesser Compared to the past 6 months of January- June. So we can state that export in RMG sector in FY2012 decreased often for 6 months due to happening of labour agitation and fire incident. •Lack of legal and institutional agreements:
The deficiency of legal and institutional arragements is a ground behind the labour agitation. Legal agrements guarantee labour rights in the RMG sector. Many of the garments mills in Bangladesh are charged non to follow with the Labor Law and ILO conventions. Proper wellness safety and security agreements for the workers are absent in many garments mills. •Recruitment system:
Their enlisting system is engaging and firing as they do non acquire any appointment missive and individuality card of the mill and at any clip they can be dismissed by proprietors for any ground. They don’t cognize anything about their occupation contract. •The labour force:
The growing of RMG industry of Bangladesh much depends on difficult work of the labour force. But unluckily they are to populate a sub-standard life in metropolis slums for old ages. Their wage is conventionally low and really frequently they do non acquire their wage. overtime measures and fillip in clip. Most of the labour force of this sector are uneducated and unskilled and have come from rural countries merely in hunt of support. So they have to work hard in return for a really hapless wage.
•Maltreatment:
The labours are maltreated by proprietors and mid-level officers. working long hours in engorged environment without sufficient remainder. deficiency of alimentary nutrients. medical specialty. right to legalize protest against ruthless developments etc are their day-to-day fate. •Lack of safety:
Factory edifice prostration. fire accident. stampede render many dead and injured. However. if any worker protests against proprietors or direction. he/she is threatened by assorted types of torment such as dismissal. apprehension or even physical assault by the hired bullies of proprietors. •Understanding between Workers and mid flat direction:
Very hapless understanding between workers and mid-level direction is a perennial job in the garment sector. Floor directors demand a speedy bringing of plants from the operators. but it might non be ever possible. In such instances the mid-level functionaries engage in affray with workers. Many mid-level functionaries were injured for bad relationship between workers and the direction.
Labor agitation has been impacting the RMG sector and the national economic system negatively. As a consequence of the recent agitation. garments industries were forcefully closed down for a twenty-four hours which resulted in a immense loss for the industries because it delayed the bringing of the merchandises. Besides. the workers destroy their ain garments machineries. interrupt the Windowss and vandalise the mills that cause large losingss for the garments proprietors. If the state of affairs does non better and stableness returns. the foreign purchasers might finally lose their assurance in the RMG sector of Bangladesh.
Recommendation:
•Minimum pay for the garment workers should be symmetricalnesss and put to death suitably. RMG is a labour intensive sector. The development of RMG industry is chiefly depending on difficult work of the labours. If they keep up their basic demands decently so they will volitionally give their complete attempt to their responsibility.
•The labor-force demands to eschew the attack of force and hooliganism. Rather. they can put their rightful demands to the several authorization. For that ground the interrelatedness between mid degree officers and labours should be good. as it is complicated and unwieldy for labours to reach straight with the proprietors. But the proprietor should cognize what is traveling on systematically by pass oning with the leader of the labours. Factory proprietors and garment workers are two most critical histrions in RMG sector. They are complementary to each other. The strength of the mill proprietors is that they are rich. organized and influential in the society. On the other manus. the immense figure and integrity of the garment workers are their power. Good relationship between the workers and proprietors is indispensable for the production every bit good as encouragement of the industry.
•RMG industry should follow with the Labor Law and ILO conventions to guarantee labour rights so that proper safety and security agreements can be maintained for the workers.
•Government can play a critical function in turn toing the job. By verbalising policy sing direction of labour force of RMG industry. by affecting the workers in the determination devising procedure. by regular supervising the mills and conditions of the workers. by measuring the enforced policies and reexamining sentiments of the stakeholders. authorities can assist a batch to work out the job and go on the success narrative.
The execution of above-named recommendations is supposed to assist turn to labour unrest in the readymade garment industry of Bangladesh. However. a figure of issues associating to labour agitation in the garment industry of Bangladesh like industrial policy. labour dealingss. owner-worker dealingss. trust between public and private sector and confederacy deserve farther attending.
Decision:
Garment concern of many international markets in Europe and North America depends on production of garment mills of Bangladesh. Labor unrest caused chiefly because want and early protests of the work force can decrease all accomplishment of the RMG sector. Hence turn toing the job is a shouting demand. Labor is the chief prospective resource required to run a concern. . However. in most instances. employers do non pattern these just labour rules. and as a consequence workers are non pleased.
Bangladesh today is considered an economic rival in footings of international garment fabrication by other states of the. It appears much of the socio-economic development in the first decennary of the 21st century for Bangladeshh. Bangladesh is largely dependent on imported cotton. cloths. and narration and capital machinery. Yet. the state is in an advantageous place in planetary trade market for its competitory work force. Despite all those problems. Bangladesh is the 2nd largest dress provider worldwide after China. RMG sector has besides showed that the heavy load of population can be turned into strength by utilizing them as labour force and being known as a labour intensive state.
The state is a moneymaking finish to the globally celebrated trade names and retail ironss because of monetary value fight. enhanced sustainability criterions and skilled work force. It besides plays a critical function to back up the development of other cardinal sectors of the economic system like banking. insurance. transportation. hotel. touristry. route transit. railroad container services. etc. Finally. it can be concluded that public-private cooperation in turn toing labour unrest in the RMG sector of Bangladesh can be a feasible and effectual step. However. degree of common trust. communicating and co-operation between workers and direction of a garment mill every bit good as public and private sector should be uplifted.
