Editorial
Disturbance in RMG factory
Stop recurrence of the menace
Unrest in RMG factories, which results in damage of the factory and street vandalism, has become a recurring feature in Bangladesh and which, regrettably, has assumed menacing proportions. The latest of these incidents occurred on Thursday last in the capital. The reason we are told is because the said factory was locked out, and the agitated workers, finding it so, ventilated their anger. And the victims were not even remotely related or responsible for their woes.
The consequence was scores of injuries including to policemen and damage to many public and private vehicles; and Begum Rokey Sarani remained closed to traffic for several hours. What is most reprehensible is that they damaged a garment factory next to it because its worker refused to join them.
There is something very wrong with our psyche that prompts us to violence in settling disputes or ventilating our grievances. The RMG sector, unfortunately, has been the worst victim of this phenomenon. A very random survey would give one a very dismal picture in this regard.
As we understand, the garment factory in question was shut down on June 1 first but was reopened last Tuesday and trouble arose when the owners refused to withdraw termination orders of some sacked employees.
It is only natural that in an enterprise there would be issues between the workers and the employees, for many reasons. But while in most sectors there are mechanisms to address these issues, and which is done through the representatives of the owners and the workers, in the RMG sector that particular mechanism is virtually non-functional, wherever and what little of it that exists.
But, unmet demand of the workers notwithstanding, it defies logic that they would set upon the very factory they work in, as have happened in the past, and come on to the streets and indulge in senseless violence.
While we call upon the management to ensure that all the dues of the workers are timely met, we must remind the labour leaders that it is they that must prevail upon the workers to abjure violence. Destructions do more harm to the interest of workers in the long run.
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