Savar sweater factory shut, 4500 workers fired by owner as new pay scale comes into force

The garments workers are expected to get their salaries under the new pay structure from the current month according to a decision taken in a meeting of the factory owners and the government yesterday.

But, many involved in the business fears another wave of unrest as the decision was not accepted unanimously by the workers groups. Leaders of some labour organsiations have expressed their reservations on the new pay scale, indicating fresh unrest in the sector.

Meanwhile, soon after the decision yesterday an owner of a sweater factory at Savar, Dhaka closed his factory throwing 4,500 workers out of jobs. It sparked protests by the workers. However, there was no report of untoward incident till filling of the report at 9:00 pm.

To save the factories from 'wildcat attacks' by the 'so called' unruly workers and leaders, some garment owners are highly considering a brief lay out of their factories, an owner on condition of anonymity told The New Nation.

Earlier, in July many garments units on the outskirts of the capital including Ashulia, Gazipur and Narayanganj districts were vandalished centering pay hike that had forced the owners to shut down their factories. Some of the leaders and workers were arrested.

As per the new pay structure, the lowest monthly salary of the worker is fixed Tk 3,000 while an apprentice worker could get Tk 2,500.

The decision of the new pay scale for the garment workers came following a fruitful meeting with the Labour, Employment and Expatriate Welfare Minister Engineer Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and garments owners at the minister's office at Secretariat yesterday.

"Garment owners have decided to pay salary and bonus under the new pay structure to the workers and employees from this month keeping an eye to upcoming Eid-ul- Azha," said an export oriented garment owner.

Asked on the implementation of the decision, the Labour Minister said, the government will take legal action if the labourers refused to accept new pay structure finalised by the pay commission.

"The gazette of the new pay commission has been published. So, the owners have to pay workers under the new pay structure as it will effect from November 1. We are strictly monitoring whether the garments factories are following the instructions," he said.

He also urged the owners to ensure salary and bonus of the garment workers before the Eid-ul-Azha and make sure that the workers do not take to streets for non-payment of salary and bonus.

He warned that the government would not tolerate any violence and anarchy on the streets in the name of realising wages and salaries by the workers.

However, he expressed his optimism that dialogue could be the only way to resolving the problem. And the government had a fruitful dialogue with the owners.

Earlier, the government has formed pay commission on April 28. As per the commission's recommendations the government declared the pay structure on July 29 and fixed Tk 3,000 as the lowest salary for garment workers and Tk 2,500 for the apprentice workers.

Apparel workers currently have a minimum wage limit of Tk 1,662 which was set back in 2006. The workers were demanding a raise in the limit to Tk 5,000. However, the factory owners are unwilling to give such a large raise.

Representatives of FBCCI, BGMEA and BKMEA, among others, were present. The labours leaders have agreed to accept the new pay structure.

Rejecting the new pay commission, some other garment workers have rejected it and demanded reconsideration of the new pay structure.

"We would not accept the new pay scale and urged the government to reconsider since it will not allow workers to survive with their families," said a women labour leader on condition of anonymity.

Readymade garments earns huge amount of foreign currency for Bangladesh every year. But this sector is yet to come out from laour unrest completely as many believe that vested quarters, for their petty interest' might provoke the unconscious workers to vandalise their own working places.

If such unrest prevails again and again in the ready made garments (RMG) secto, then it will ultimately erode the confidence level of the entrepreneurs and deprive the country from foreign currency earning, according to economists.

-New Nation, Sun 31/10/2010

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