Editorial
Industrial unrest in Ashulia
No room for short circuiting
We are hopeful that the statement made by state minister for labour and industry can deliver on the promise to have factories in the troubled Ashulia industrial humming again after Saturday next. The BGMEA and BKMEA ordered all factories to shut down on June 11 for an indefinite period until the government took constructive steps to ensure the security in the industrial zone and bring those responsible for vandalism in some industrial units to book. Needless to say that the estimated $10million lost every day by the readymade garments (RMG) factories and tens of thousands of workers being unemployedin the area is not at all welcome news. Though the legality of the shutdown by owners has been challenged in the high court, there is no guarantee that violence will not flare up again once factories resume operations.
No matter how many voices are raised about outside 'miscreants' inciting unrest so that Bangladesh loses its position in the world market as a serious player in apparels export, the ground realities for most workers is that apart from skyrocketing expenses, they have no way to make their voices heard to the management. Since labour unions are nonexistent in most industrial units, many workers feel disenfranchised and vent their anger through vandalism. Hence, this is not merely a law-and-order situation which can readily be remedied by taking a tough stance on those who created havoc in the industrial belt.
The problems associated with double-digit inflation and galloping house rent in the area have been addressed by this paperbefore. What has not however been addressed is the basic reality of expenditure far outstripping income. So, beefing up security by means of deploying more law enforcers and installing close circuit cameras in the sprawling industrial state may give RMG factories a brief respite only but no durable peace. As earnings from RMG sector constitutes nearly 70 percent of Bangladesh's $26 billion annual export basket, the government, with financial help from industry, may start thinking about making available low-cost housing for the tens of thousands of workers working in the sector which would go a long way to redress workers' grievances.
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