Editorial
Body-blow to garment sector
Apply immediate brake on the backlash
THE garment workers across the sector have been on a vandalising spree in what we consider to be misplaced rage following the massive humanitarian disaster of Rana Plaza building collapse at Savar. On Thursday they bashed 100 vehicles in the city followed by at least 150 being damaged on Friday creating blockade to highways and many city streets. Taking out processions in splinter groups, they also took out their wrath on various garment units.
The fallout was so severe that many garment industries were shuttered down and their production suspended. Closely on the heels of hartals the backlash comes as a double jeopardy for the apparel sector. It was just trying to make up for some of the losses inflicted on the industry through successive shutdowns.
This is not an expression of mourning for the victims, nor is it any respect shown to them because the shock and the solemnity of the occasion were turned into a demonstration of blind rage. That they will be emotional at the imperiled plight of so many co workers and would seek security in their work places are understandable. Even peaceful protest rallies outside their working hours would have been in order. But to storm public and private transports, ransack shops, and attack garment units is nothing but a rowdy and self-defeating conduct.
Already, the garment sector has lost around Tk 200 crore on each hartal day. Furthermore, it faces cancellation of orders beyond what has already been suffered including upsetting shipment schedules. The apparel and knitwear units also risk losing in terms of competitiveness because the buyers are at an advantage in the pricing negotiations.
They are getting everything so cheap which in turn meant sidelining the issues of poor, insecure work environment and low wages for our five million-strong garment workforce. All this has come under international spotlight. If anything, the countless casualties under the wreckage at Savar agonised the buying countries who now are exerting pressure on big name retail buyers to protect the workers' right to descent wage and secure working conditions.
Hence, the agitating workers must be persuaded by their employers and the BGMEA as such to shun the path of violence in their own interest as well as that of the economy which benefits from foreign exchange earning worth US$ 20 billion annually.
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