All workers to get salary, allowances before Eid: assoc
There will be a slowdown in apparel exports for another six months as exports orders from the buyers have slowed down, Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said on Thursday.
Addressing a meeting with the press, he claimed that most of the factory owners have already paid salaries to their workers before Eid-ul-Fitr, except the managements of 18 factories that were passing through operational difficulties.
But the owners of those ‘problem’ factories assured that they have been in the process of resolving their problems and would arrange payments to their workers as soon as possible.
Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin and other BGMEA leaders met the press at its headquarter to discuss the present situation of the RMG sector—the country’s top export earners and employers.
Mohiuddin said the association would not allow any of its members to default in timely payment of the due wages and bonus to the workers. ‘We have asked all our members to ensure timely payment of wages and bonus.’
In recent months, he explained, the garment manufacturers received less than the expected export orders as the economy in the United States and European Union has been facing a new wave of recession.
Mohiuddin said price hike of yarn in May-June also adversely affected the export orders.
He cited that the country’s RMG sector posted an export growth of only 15 per cent in July against a 43 per cent growth in June of last fiscal year. ‘This indicates a major cut in export orders from our traditionalbuyers.’
The BGMEA president, however, expected that the country’s RMG sector would not be affected in the long-term given the fact that Bangladesh can produce garments at a cost lower than other countries.
Mohiuddin expressed his gratitude to the government for taking measures for keeping the law and order situation in control in the garments factories and providing cash credit for the factory owners so that they could pay the dues to the workers before the Eid festival.
He urged the authorities to keep an eye on the factories which were not members of BGMEA and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association as unexpected incidents might occur in those factories to make the situation volatile for the industry.
The BGMEA leader also urged the authorities to take proper steps so that the buses, trains and steamers would ply safely while carrying Eid passengers, including thousands of RMG worker, to their homes and return after the Eid festival.
BGMEA first vice-president Siddiqur Rahman, vice-president (finance) SA Mannan Kochi and other directors were present at the press meet.
-With New Age input