BGMEA-BKMEA Warn Factories Will Shut from Sunday Unless Workers Return to Work
BGMEA and BKMEA, the two organisations of the export oriented garment industry, have warned that factories will close from Sunday under the labour law. This will happen if vandalism and road blockades continue in the name of a movement and workers do not return to work.
The two organisations gave the warning at a joint press conference on Saturday. It took place at the BGMEA Complex in Uttara, Dhaka. BGMEA President Mr. Mahmud Hasan Khan and BKMEA Acting President Mr. Fazle Shameem Ehsan attended.
Mr. Mahmud Hasan Khan said a group has recently tried to create chaos in the garment sector over the issue of minimum wages. As a result, normal production has stopped for the last 7 to 12 days in some factories in the Ashulia, Savar and Gazipur areas.
He said BGMEA and BKMEA member factory owners reviewed the whole situation and the need to protect the industry. They have been forced to make a hard but unavoidable decision. Factories in these areas cannot stay open because the safe and productive environment is missing. Owners of the factories that cannot run production will have to keep them closed from Sunday for an indefinite period under the labour law.
Mr. Khan quoted Section 13(1) of the labour law. It says that if a strike in any branch or department of an establishment is illegal, the owner may close that branch or establishment partly or fully. It also says workers who join the strike will not get any wages during such a closure.
He said 147 factories remain closed because of labour unrest. Most workers sincerely want to join work and continue in a peaceful environment. But a few misguided workers keep causing disorder under the provocation and instigation of outside groups. They do not work themselves, and they stop other workers from working too. They create such a frightening and lawless situation inside the factories that workers have to stop work and leave.
He added that these workers also move in groups to the main gates of other factories after they leave their own. They throw bricks, stones and other objects there. They also force the workers of those factories to come out. This makes the whole situation more complex.
Mr. Mahmud Hasan Khan sharply criticised the labour organisations. He said the worker representatives on the Wage Board told them that neither they nor any labour organisation have any link to the ongoing vandalism and disorder. But he said it is very sad that the labour organisations tried to help end this crisis, and their role has not been effective enough. Many leaders, activists and worker representatives at the field level cannot keep control over ordinary workers, and this makes the situation worse.
Replying to journalists, Mr. Khan said more than 1,500 factory owners joined the emergency meeting of BGMEA and BKMEA on Saturday. They said that if vandalism in factories and road blockades go on, it becomes questionable to continue talks at the same time. But as a responsible part of society, they will attend the Wage Board meeting on 16 November.
He also said the Wage Board was formed on 1 November. Labour unrest began in the last week of October. If the demand behind the movement is about wages, then workers’ protests and factory vandalism after the formation of the Wage Board are not reasonable in any way.
He said the most important point is that the Wage Board announced in its very first meeting when the new wages will take effect. Even so, some people are creating a lawless situation. The aim may be to put pressure on garment owners and force them to announce an unreasonable wage. Someone may also have another motive behind it.
BKMEA Acting President Mr. Fazle Shameem Ehsan said no one should take any step in this critical time that puts the whole sector under threat. He said owners and workers must work together to keep the sector alive.
