Online Voices

RMG worker unrest
Buyers want wage review
Labour minister for ration system
(July 26, 2012)

Farid Ahmed
International buyers should increase the price of garment products instead of pressurising the government and BGMEA.

MH Uddin
It's not a good sign that buyers are insisting and putting pressure on the government to take steps to quell the frequent unrest in the RMG sector. We always fail to uphold our supremacy over outsiders. The owners and government should take immediate measures to put an end to this issue.

F Islam
The suggestions of international buyers have to be seriously considered by the government. The wage earners' money is being increasingly eaten away by the ever rising house rent and essentials price. This is enough to create social unrest. There should be some mechanism to control house rent and other pressing difficulties of the average consumers of the urban areas.

Surprised
The minister made sense when he asked the buyers to increase their purchase price. It's not only the issue of increasing wages, but as the minister said, if we subsidise their expenses (house rent / basic commo-dities), then it's a win-win situation for all.
What the major buyers can do, since they are all so worried, they can help the government in building cost-effective housing communities with fixed rent strictly for the garment workers. The government has already increased the tax on garment export. I am sure we can come to a solution.

Md. Abir Hossain
Garment workers are the life of Bangladesh. They contribute greatly to run our economy smoothly. Unfortunately, they are paid most probably the lowest wage. The garment owners should re-think their (workers) legitimate demand of increasing wage as the inflation is rising. It is high time the government took steps to solve the unrest in this sector.

Jumana Sarwar
Once in a while, the living condition of the garment workers is shown in the western TV documentaries. These documentaries are very disturbing. The world wide economic crisis has put pressure on western political leadership to create more jobs in their own countries. Therefore, it is not surprising that they will exert pressure on countries like ours so that our competitive advantage diminishes. The love for our garment workers is secondary. However, we must align ourselves so that we don't kill our golden goose.

Iftikhar-ul-Awwal
The RMG workers who are catering for the international market deserve a wage readjustment. I had written earlier and I reiterate again that their wages must be adjusted with the rise in prices of commodities and house rent. Due to economic stress, recently there have been strikes (and lockouts) and those were quelled with promises on the part of the government. But neither government action nor any move from the industry leaders is visible. We are worried and should not be surprised if labour agitation takes a serious turn due to indifference and greed of the entrepreneurs engaged in the trade. The nation, it may be mentioned, is well aware of the excuses of the BGMEA and BKMEA but those are lame excuses to pocket excess gains at the cost of workers. I also fail to understand the sympathy of political leaders for owners rather than workers. Is it because of their contribution to election fund?