RMG workers who are directly engaging in producing readymade clothing are the main forces of the garments industry. Their endless efforts make the country successful, and make gaining foreign earnings possible. Their supervisors directly monitor these workers, since it is said that effective supervision will surely boost up workers’ performance.
In the inception of daily duty schedule, a worker starts his or her works by the instructions of their supervisor. However, factory managers or plant managers hold the supreme power in an RMG factory, but the authorities and responsibilities for managing workers goes to supervisors. From logging-in to logging-out, everything is closely monitored, scrutinised, and reviewed by the supervisors. It is to be noted that supervisors are the direct boss of workers. So the “boss-worker” relationship is indeed important in ensuring a productive and congenial work environment in RMG plants.
Effective supervision will motivate workers at a great margin, because efficient and effective supervisors motivate their workers in ensuring targeted productions being met, be with the factories, reduces chance of workers being dissatisfied, and also reduces the chance of labour unrest.
Like human beings, workers have many justified demands; yet it is not always possible to meet their demands within shortened, stipulated times. In this case, workers often go on a rampage and create an uncongenial work environment, not only in the respective factories, but also within the area of operation. Often, it has been seen that, other factory workers come down, join in and participate in going berserk, which is not acceptable. Moreover, these rampages are often lead by Trade Union leaders. Despite constructive steps towards solutions being made, they often choose the destructive path, against the overall industry’s interest.
In this case, effective supervision is indeed necessary. Supervisors should play a vital role in ensuring a congenial environment in the workplace. They should take firm steps concerning these aspects. Supervisors should listen to the problems that workers face in the workplace. They also make engage in consultation with Trade Union leaders about their role in reducing unrest. Before presenting demands to the top authority, supervisors should involve themselves in the overall grievance procedure of the factory.
It is not an easy task for a supervisor to mitigate demands or to motivate workers in an RMG factory. Thus, an effective supervision training and development program should be arranged. At present, many training and development programs offered by supreme bodies in the RMG sector in Bangladesh, ie BGMEA, BKMEA and other, private training institutes are mainly concentrated on the executive levels in an RMG company.
As workers are mainly engaging directly with the supervisors, it is imperative to put more emphasis on the development of RMG factory supervisors, so that they can efficiently and effectively handle workers.
It is high time we establish more training and development programs, to be highly concentrated on supervisors. The following are possible areas on which supervisors can receive training on:
Cost control in an RMG Factory: Supervisor Concerns How to increase production How to motivate your subordinates: From a supervisors’ context How to ensure good health and hygiene of subordinates: Supervisor concerns Effective communication skills for RMG supervisors Handling day-to-day grievance in an RMG factory Effective negotiations and collective bargaining Leadership and team-building skills for supervisors Effective payroll and roster maintenance by supervisorsSupreme bodies of the RMG sector of Bangladesh, or other training and development centres, should put their kind considerations in these aspects. Moreover, RMG companies should launch in-house training and development programs for supervisor concerns. It is not necessary to establish separate training centres but they should allocate rooms for conducting these training drills. Factories located in the same area could establish training and development centres on their own. Top management personnel, prominent scholars and researchers in the RMG sector, or even experienced supervisors within the factory could be the resource personnel.
It needs to be noted that training and development programs are a continuous process. Therefore, continuation of training and development programs should enhance their skills and morale.
In an RMG factory, supervisors play a pivotal role in ensuring a congenial and productive environment.
Training and development programs established for them should enhance their supervisory skills. In addition to enhancing skills, their motivation and loyalty will also increase, ultimately creating a solid, loyal, and devoted human resource for the organisation.