Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the authorities concerned have to ensure maximum allocation of the government’s incentive package for the workers and the factories that need it the most, says a study.
The findings of the study, “Rapid Research Response to Covid-19,” conducted by the Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), were released through a webinar.
A press release was issued in this regard on Thursday.
The purpose of this study was to shed light on the evaluation of the country’s labour leaders regarding the formulation and implementation of the government’s incentive package and its impact on RMG workers.
A total of 20 (10 women and 10 men) labour leaders representing different factories and national labour organizations were interviewed as part of the study.
In addition, information was collected from incentive guidelines, various research papers, newspapers and other print and digital media sources for a comprehensive understanding of the issue.
The BIGD study found that most trade union leaders, appreciative of the incentive package to help the sector during the Covid-19 crisis, termed it a "timely move."
They believe that if implemented properly, the package will alleviate the miseries of garment workers by eliminating the uncertainty of wages and employment.
However, they raised questions about the “adequacy of the incentive package” as they feared that the amount allocated would not be able to cover the wages of all RMG workers in the country.
They also noted that not all factory owners needed help from the incentive package as they ought to be able to pay their employees from their own pockets. They urged the authorities concerned to make sure the distribution and allocation of the money remained free of any political influence.
The study discerned some loopholes and limitations in the implantation of the incentive package in small factories and RMG businesses, such as:
* Some factories might not have an effective relationship with the banks
* Some might not be listed with the BGMEA or BKMEA
* Some might not comply with the minimum wage structure set by the government for their workers and not share their information regarding the issue
* Large factories/companies get their orders completed by small factories through sub-contracts and do not directly export garments
The BIGD also made a four-point recommendation to ensure the best implantation of the incentive package intended to help the economy by helping the huge number of workers related with this sector. The points are:
* Ensure maximum allocation of the incentive package for the workers and the factories that need it the most
* Ensure a quick disbursement of the incentive package and wages of RMG workers
* Increase transparency to strengthen mutual trust between employers and workers
* Develop effective monitoring methods/arrangements so that the workers are not deprived of their rights
Mahin Sultan, head of the research team and senior fellow of practice at the BIGD, read out the findings of the research during the webinar.
Meanwhile BIGD Executive Director Dr Imaran Matin presided over the webinar.
Senior labour leaders, sector experts, journalists and members of the relevant authorities also took part in the webinar.
As of Thursday, Bangladesh had confirmed 12,425 coronavirus cases, with the death toll rising to 199 after 13 new fatalities were reported.
Till now the fast spreading coronavirus has claimed more than 266,000 lives and infected more than 3,859,000 people globally, according to Worldometer.
As many as 1,320,963 people have recovered from Covid-19, which has spread to 210 countries and territories across the world.