Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) has hardly made any progress in preparing workers’ database within the deadline that expires today (Wednesday), sources said. The association has, however, attributed such poor progress to non-cooperation from its members. Only 11 out of some 2,100 listed member factories have so far got enrolled with the service that was launched in 2014, according to them. On the other hand, some 1,803 out of 4,296 members enlisted with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) have registered with the database system to date. BKMEA is a platform of knitwear manufacturers while BGMEA represents the owners of the country’s woven makers. The labour ministry last month asked the apparel apex bodies-BGMEA and BKMEA-to complete the formation of the central database by mid-June mainly to keep records of all workers of the country’s ready-made garment sector, officials said. The ministry’s move came following the dillydally from both the associations and central fund for RMG sector that would come into effect from July 1 with money received from each export order at 0.03 per cent, they added. They said the database is important for successful implementation and use of the central fund for export-oriented ready-made garment sector. The database would preserve basic information about a worker, including his or her identification, family details, records about the worker’s service details including factory and employer, dates of his or her joining or leaving the job and the reasons and also other details. When asked Aslam Sunny, vice president of BKMEA, said they would need more time to re-introduce the service. “BKMEA will sign an agreement with the IT service provider again to speed up the task,” he said, expressing the hope that they might start the database registration work from July and complete it by August next. Industry insiders, however, said some 450 to 500 composite units employing thousands of workers might need more time to come under the database system. BKMEA member factories employ 1.5 to 2.0 million workers, they added.
