Take special care of RMG workers amid Covid-19 pandemic

Bangladesh Garment Sramik Sanghati central committee has called upon the owners and the government to take special care of the RMG workers, who have been playing an important role in the country's export earnings and the economy.

They raised a six-point demand to protect the workers and the industry, adding that if the spreading of coronavirus is not controlled quickly, infection and death among garment workers could increase, which will break the entire health system and the industry will also be threatened.

The workers should be given special recognition, additional incentives, and risk allowance, as they have been working to save the industry at the risk of their own lives, they added.

The organisation mentioned this in a joint statement issued yesterday by its central president Taslima Akhter and general secretary Julhasnyeen Babu.

It also demanded eliminating the sufferings of the workers related to transportation during the "lockdown" and urged the owners and the government to provide clean transportation for long-distance workers.

In addition, it urged the government to do testing and vaccination of all the workers as early as possible and to form a separate committee of labour representatives, doctors, and expert teams to supervise the hygiene in the factory, the statement read.

There must be an assurance that no one can be made to work with symptoms and are allowed paid leaves, it added.

Apart from that, the organisation demanded field hospitals, isolation centres, and health cards for workers and prioritisation in providing special treatment for free in government hospitals and compensation for the death of workers.

The leaders of the committee also called on the owners to refrain from cutting jobs, reducing wages and salary and lay-offs.

The owner-buyer-government will have to form a tripartite emergency fund to take the responsibility of the workers in times of danger.

In addition, it urged the government to ensure an equal opportunity of "lockdown" for all citizens including garment workers.

According to the statement, last year, 3.5 lakh workers lost their jobs during the pandemic, and in this year's second wave, they are once again in fear and uncertainty about their lives and livelihoods.