Garment factories should go for gradual reopening: CPD
Garment factories ought to be reopened slowly but surely after ensuring health and safety of workers just because a long-term shutdown will hurt the economy, said an economist yesterday.
Bangladesh may lose its competitiveness in the international markets because of an extended production suspension as countries such as for example China and Vietnam have resumed their manufacturing lines.
All stakeholders should hold a dialogue on the problem, said Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
He spoke at a virtual discussion titled "7th Anniversary of Rana Plaza Tragedy: Crisis of Workers and Employers through the Coronavirus Pandemic - Government Initiatives and Way Forward", organised by the CPD.
The Rana Plaza building, which housed several garment factories, collapsed on April 24 in 2013, killing a lot more than 1,134 people, mostly workers, and injuring another 2,500.
"Given medical emergency currently in place, factories need to continue with the holiday season as per instructions of the federal government," said Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director of the CPD, while presenting the keynote paper.
A lot of the garment factories have kept their businesses shut after the government enforced a countrywide lockdown from March 26 to curb the spread of the coronavirus infection. The lockdown has been extended to May 5.
Time hasn't come yet to state whether Bangladeshi garment sector would benefit in the post-coronavirus era and amid a bickering relationship between your US and China, Rahman said.
"If we can recover from the coronavirus and restart factory production, we are in a position to maintain our competitiveness," he added.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is preparing a standard operating procedure in a way that the factories can resume production soon, said Arshad Jamal Dipu, vice-president of the trade body.
Factory management can follow health and safety rules in the units. But employees might still catch the highly contagious virus on the way to work or at their residences regardless if the environment inside factories improves.
The BGMEA includes a plan to set up three coronavirus testing units and 130 private clinics in Gazipur for the personnel after the units are reopened.
Up to now, 98.50 % of the workers have obtained the salary for March.
On the factory layoffs, Dipu said the BGMEA already suggested its members not choose that option. But the factories that suspended production temporarily can pay 60 % of the workers' gross salaries through the period, he added.
Although the safety situation has improved in the workplaces as a result of the efforts of the Accord and Alliance after the Rana Plaza building collapse, the long-term benefits of the victims have remained unaddressed, said Amirul Haque Amin, president of the National Garment Workers Federation.
Many garment factories remain in procedure now in the name of producing personal protective equipment (PPE) and so are generating other exportable goods regardless of the growing cases of coronavirus infections.
"This sort of factories should be identified and blacklisted, if necessary," Amin said, adding that 15 per cent factories didn't pay the income for March as of yesterday.
Some factory management are docking the workers' wages going back five days of March, he said, adding that some are laying off their units although there is no scope for such action during general holidays.
During general holidays, employees should be allowed to go on leave with full salaries, Amin said.
Even seven years following the Rana Plaza tragedy, there has been little change in the guidelines about how garment factories run, Nazma Akter, president of the Sammilito Garment Sramik Federation.
There is no balance of power between trade unions and factory managements, Akter said, while demanding a halt on the layoffs.
She demanded reinstatement of the terminated garment employees and completion of wage payment for March immediately.
The justice of Rana Plaza is yet to be served, said Joly Talukder, a leader of the Garment Workers Trade Union Centre.
A knowledge has been reached at the International Labour Organisation on ensuring health and safety for garment staff once factories reopen, said Farooq Ahmed, secretary general of the Bangladesh Employers' Federation.
International retailers should develop assistance to help local garment manufacturers, who alone can't provide all types of support to workers, Moazzem said.
"Every crisis gives a good lesson," said Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the CPD, while moderating the discussion.
For instance, Bangladesh improved compliance in the garment sector after the Rana Plaza building collapse. So, this coronavirus pandemic may also provide a good lesson to Bangladesh."
