Apparel Sector
Owners sound warning against unrest
Apparel factory owners on Tuesday said that they would not be able to pay wages and festival allowances to workers if the unrest in the sector over wage increase continued.
The fresh unrest and vandalism in the apparel sector over an increase in wages creates new fears and the situation will hinder the sustainable growth of the industry, sector leaders said at a press conference at the BGMEA building on the current situation of the apparel industry.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association, the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association and the Bangladesh Textile Mills’ Association organised the press conference.
The acting BGMEA president SM Mannan Kochi said that a vested interest quarter was creating instability when the government had set up a wage board to decide the minimum wage for apparel workers.
He alleged that national and international quarters were hatching conspiracy against the Bangladesh apparel sector. Local and international media are also involved in the conspiracy.
Mannan said that some local and international media were publishing negative reports on the Bangladesh apparel sector which is unwarranted.
Accusing media, he also said that local and international media are instigating labour unrest through publishing confusing information.
The acting BGMEA president said that if the chaos continued in the apparel sector, many owners would not able to pay wages and festival allowances to workers before Eid-ul-Azha.
Former BGMEA president Safiul Islam Mohiuddin urged politicians to keep the apparel sector out of politics.
He asked the international media to undertake formal or informal visit to any factory before publishing reports.
The BKMEA president, Salim Osman, said that many quarters were instigating workers to take to the streets and create a chaos that ultimately hinders the export business.
‘If we fail to make shipment in time, workers will not get wages and festival allowances,’ he said.
Salim also alleged that some people were making provocative remarks in talk shows on television.
The BTMEA president, Jahangir Alamin, urged workers to join work in the interest of the industry.
He hoped that the minimum wage of workers would be decided on a logical basis through negotiations as the wage board was going ahead with the process.
-With New Age input
