Archive

          The readymade garment (RMG) factory owners and the leaders of RMG based labour unions blamed Monday a section of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and an international nexus for provoking recent troubles in RMG factories across the country.
They smelt an 'alien conspiracy' against the clothing industry after the expiry of the quota system on January 1, this year.
The factory owners under the banner of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) alleged that alien forces were 'conspiring to destroy' the country's RMG sector using a section of unruly workers.
The BGMEA said such a conspiracy has targeted the vibrant apparel sector of the country when prediction of a multilateral donor agency about the future of the sector did not come true.
Some top leaders of clothing based trade unions said those alien forces are deliberately targeting the RMG sector while they are ignoring the torments of workers in the jute and tea sectors.
"It indicates that those so-called foreign-funded organisations have developed vested interest and they do not want a dynamic clothing industry in Bangladesh," said Delwar Hossain Khan, president of Bangladesh Jano-Swadhin Garments Sromik Federation (JSGSF), at a joint press conference in the city.
The BGMEA and the labour leaders urged the government to find out persons conspiring against the industry.
The allegation of the BGMEA and the labour leaders came following two untoward incidents in Savar (October 14) and Kanchpur (October 19) suburbs where some unruly workers ransacked dozens of factories and damaged properties valued at millions of taka. In both the incidents rumours were deliberately spread about the death of workers to incite workers to attack vehicles and damage garment factories.
Annisul Huq, president of the BGMEA also alleged that some close competitors of Bangladesh in the international market might have been involved in the events.
"We have never seen such deterioration in relations between owners and workers before. The Export Processing Zones (EPZs) have also been the targets of such labour unrest," Huq said. He said at least one factory in the EPZ could not go into operation because labour problems were implanted from outside.
Labour leaders of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Garments Sromik Dal, Jatiya Garments Sromik League, Bangladesh Jatiya Garments Shromik Karmochari League, Jatiyatabadi Garments Sromik Federation and Bangladesh Poshak Shilpo Sromik Federation were also present at the press conference.
"If we fail to sustain healthy relations between the workers and the owners, the productivity of the industry will severely be affected," said Delwar of the JSGSF.
The BGMEA management and trade union leaders urged the government to probe in to the recent untoward incidents and take appropriate actions for uninterrupted economic development of the country.
They said some foreign funded NGOs were actively provoking some local NGOs to organise demonstrations and agitation that are not allowed under the law of the land.