Terming Readymade Garments (RMG) as one of Bangladesh’s largest export sectors, speakers at a discussion in the capital called for ensuring occupational health and safety of the RMG workers in the interest of the major sector. Health safety is a major issue. If the workers’ health is affected, RMG sector cannot sustain. So, steps should be taken to keep their physical and mental health safe and sound, otherwise, the sector will collapse, they opined. Referring to importance of the sector, they observed that the sector is earning 82 percent of total export income and contributing to 18 percent of the country’s GDP. They called for improving building and fire safety for workers, taking measures for stopping sexual harassment and introducing trade union and safety committee at all garment factories. Speakers were addressing a discussion titled ‘Improving Safety for Ready-made Garment Workers: Experiences and the Way Forward’ at a city hotel on Monday. The workers, especially female ones, work in unhealthy environment at their work places. Hence, they are suffering from anaemia, TB and pain at different parts of their bodies, putting their lives at risk, they added.
