Over 52 per cent labour unrest that took place in the country’s readymade garment (RMG) sector was over dues of wage and overtime allowance, according to a study. Besides, 18.8 per cent agitation was for hike in wage and other benefits, while 12.1 per cent for disputes over employment contract, it added. The garment sector witnessed some 165 incidents of disputes out of the total 246 in 2014, said Professor Jakir Hossain of Rajshahi University in his study. The study was jointly conducted by Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) and German-based Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. Professor Hossain presented its findings at a seminar titled ‘State of labour tripartitism in Bangladesh’s RMG sector and the scope of harmonious industrial and labour relations’, held in the capital on Sunday. Out of the total 230 industrial disputes in 2013, 199 incidents took place in garment sector, the study revealed. Majority of the disputes could have been resolved, if there had been an effective tripartite solution system with equal representation of the owners, the workers and the government, it noted. But, in case of Bangladesh, an effective tripartite mechanism cannot work, as representations of the owners and the government are stronger and more organised than that of the workers. “In case of the workers’ representatives, they are not organised rather divided,” he added. Roy Ramesh Chandra, a BILS member, in his speech said, “There is no lone ministry for the country’s $24 billion garment sector. When any dispute arises in the sector, a number of ministries and agencies try to resolve it. At the end, little effective measures are taken.” Most of the time, different committees were formed following international pressure, he noted. “If we can capture 10 per cent of China’s market share in the global market, which is about 37 per cent, our export will reach $50 billion very soon,” Mr Chandra added. Wajedul Islam Khan, BILS executive committee secretary, said the tripartite committees in the country’s garment sector cannot work effectively mainly because of lack of monitoring by the government. Shahidullah Azim, former vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said the association’s arbitration cell could be a good example of tripartite committee, which is comprised of labour leaders, owners and government officials to resolve disputes. The cell has so far resolved 8,658 out of 9,550 cases through hearing, and the owners have paid a total of Tk 304.3 million in this regard, he added. Nazma Akter, president of Sommilito Garment Sramik Federation, alleged that the rules on labour law go in favour of the garment owners, as the trade union leaders failed to understand the clauses at the time of its formation. She also focused on holding social dialogues, so that the disputes can be resolved in a peaceful way.
