Zero tolerance to non-compliant RMG factories
Spelling out a firm stand on resolving labour unrest in the ready made garments (RMG) sector, Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday said the government will show zero tolerance towards the persistent non-compliant factory owners.
The rate of fully social compliant factories declined to 51 percent in January from 56 percent in December 2007, Zillur told reporters after a meeting with different stakeholders of the RMG sector at his Secretariat office.
Records suggest the rate of fully compliant factories was 56 percent in December, 47 percent in September and 42 percent in June last. There are as many as 5000 RMG industrial units across the country.
The commerce ministry reviews the progress of social compliance in RMG units in every three months in order to take measures for resolving disputes.
Presently, 28 percent RMG units belong to the persistent non-compliant category, an official of the ministry told The Daily Star.
Responding to a query, the commerce adviser said on receipt of recommendations from the probe body on labour unrest headed by Commerce Secretary Feroz Ahmed, the government will move to take actions against the non-compliant factory owners.
This probe committee is supposed to submit its report within the next two weeks, Zillur said.
“I cannot exactly say right now what sort of actions would be taken against the non-compliant factory owners. But the government will show its zero tolerance in this regard,” he said.
The adviser suggested that the present minimum wage for RMG workers should be reviewed, as 'it is not enough to lead a life of minimum standard in the city.'
“The government is mulling some alternative measures for RMG workers as they are the part of the urban poverty.” The adviser said.
He said the training for mid-level management of the fourth batch finished recently and the training for the fifth batch will begin from today.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment has been conducting such training for the officers of mid-level management of the RMG units to reduce labour unrest in the sector.
The commerce adviser urged the owners to make the participatory committee functional in their factories to minimise the labour unrest.
When asked, he said the withdrawal of the safeguard measures on Chinese products both from EU and US markets is under government's observation.
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