[1]SP blames RMG factory owners for coronavirus spread in Gazipur
[2]Gazipur Police Superintendent Shamsunnahar has blamed the owners of the garment factories, who brought back thousands of workers amid lockdown, for the spread of the novel coronavirus in the district.
[3]There was no coronavirus patient in Gazipur before the garment workers returned to the district following order of factory reopening on April 4,” she said during a video conference of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with public representatives and officials from four districts of Dhaka division and Mymensingh division.
[4]The police superintendent said, After the factory opening announcement, thousands of workers returned to Gazipur from coronavirus hotspot Narayanganj and many other districts, putting Gazipur in uvlnerable situation.The workers should not have been recalled at this risky time. Besides, they are still in Gazipur as many factories have not paid their salaries yet,” SP Shamsunnar told the PM.
[5]Later, the prime minister said she would meet the garment owners regarding the issue. According to the BGMEA data, Gazipur area has 808 apparel factories and among those, workers of 62 factories remained unpaid till yesterday.
Owners of those factories were directed by the Labour Ministry to pay their workers by April 16. BGMEA President Rubana Huq also requested them to maintain that deadline. However, 746 apparel factories paid their workers by April 19. According to the industrial police’s data, in Gazipur zone – workers of 75 BGMEA, 39 BKMEA, 17 BTMA and 283 others factories were unpaid till yesterday (April 19).
[6]Earlier on April 4, thousands of garment workers scrambled to reach their work places in Dhaka and adjoining areas, raising risks of coronavirus infection as apparel owners decided to reopen their factories from April. https://tbsnews.net/coronavirus-chronicle/covid-19-bangladesh/sp-blames-rmg-workers-coronavirus-spread-gazipur-71488
https://tbsnews.net/coronavirus-chronicle/covid-19-bangladesh/sp-blames-rmg-workers-coronavirus-spread-gazipur-71488
[1]Layoffs in RMG units to trigger workers’ unrest
Finisial express : [2]A significant number of readz-made garment (RMG) factory owners have declared layoff in their units since the government enforced the current shutdown amid COVID-19 outbreak as a ploy to benefit themselves by depriving workers, labour leaders alleged.
[3]The workers of these units will be financially deprived, according to the country’s labour law. They will get only half of their basic wage and house rent during the layoff period, the leaders added.
[4]They also expressed the fear about the start of labour unrest over payment of wage next month, as the workers are not properly aware of the meaning of layoff. The labour leaders urged the government to look into the issue, and called on the garment factory owners to refrain from declaring layoffs.
[5]On March 23, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) advised its member factories to announce closure, citing provisions 12 and 16 of the labour law, and mentioned the coronavirus outbreak as the reason for closure.
[6]Nazma Akter, president of Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation, said the government announced public holidays across the country due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The government has asked all people to stay at home and maintain social distancing to slow down spread of the virus, and the workers also have to remain at home during the holidays.
[7]However, many garment owners announced layoff during closure of factories. A good number of units in recent days informed their workers about layoff through mobile message. Opposing factory layoff during the pandemic, she further said the workers will get half month’s wage in April due to the layoff. “How will the workers maintain their livelihood with the half month wage and without any overtime?” Nazma Akter also called upon the buyers to stop their unethical practices of asking for discounts and cancellation of orders during this critical situation. “Both the buyers and the factory owners have to ensure full wage, as they are the people who make profit, while the workers are the worst sufferers,” she added.
[8]Workers of the laid-off factories will not get full or minimum monthly wage, said Babul Akhter, general secretary of Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation. The workers, having less than one year job experience, will get no wage and allowances during the layoff, he added. Many garment workers’ job duration is less than one year, said Salahuddin Shapon, president of Bangladesh Revolutionary Garment Workers Federation.
[9]About 0.8-0.9 million workers will be fully deprived of their due wage and allowances, if the government allows the owners to lay off their units, he mentioned in a letter to the Department of Inspection (DIFE) on Sunday.Majority of the workers do not know what is layoff. But they will realise its outcome, when they will receive wage for the month of April, said Joly Talukder, a leader of Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre (GTUC).The GTUC on April 17 demonstrated in front of Sromo Bhaban in the city, protesting non-payment of wage, mass termination of workers, and factory lay-off during public holiday.She also warned of labour unrest, if the government does not take timely measures against layoff of factories during the coronavirus outbreak. The labour leaders urged the factory owners not to go for layoff, stop mass termination, and ensure full and timely payment of wage and allowances to help the workers stay at home during the pandemic.
[10]According to BGMEA, 95.45 per cent of total 2.47 million workers of its 2,274 active member units received their wage for March until Sunday.More than 4,500 factories are registered with the trade-bodz, according to its official website.
https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/first-page/layoffs-in-rmg-units-to-trigger-workers-unrest-1587318031