Bangladesh’s RMG sector has been a cornerstone of the economy for some time now. And while there is a case to be made against RMG’s overwhelming predominance in regards to our exports, until the day our export basket is more diverse, an emphasis on this sector’s stability will need to be ensured.
While the RMG sector saw a wave of worker unrest, both justified and otherwise, over the past few weeks, it is heartening to see factory owners giving the workers what they want and agreeing to all 18 of their demands following a lengthy discussion between 35 representatives from both sides.
Bangladesh’s RMG sector has long been fraught with worker rights and worker safety issues, until coming to a head more than a decade ago with the Tazreen and Rana Plaza disasters. However, since then, the sector has seen sweeping reforms which have put worker safety as a priority while also focusing on making factories greener and more sustainable.
While the sector has come a long way since then, frequent instances of unrest over wages and other factors pertaining to workers have plagued it, apropos of that, seeing factory owners reach an understanding with their workers this time around has been a breath of fresh air, to say the least, with workers already being seen returning to factories without delay.
Yes, the sector has seen a lot of positive changes in the preceding years, but one constant that remains a sore spot for RMG is still a lack of cooperation from foreign buyers. Foreign buyers grandstanding about worker rights go in direct contradiction of their lack of cooperation, which often manifests as an unwillingness to pay on time or even the cancellation of orders far too late into the process. Honouring their contracts should be the bare minimum for buyers.
It is clear that our RMG sector is willing to do its part – it is the buyers who now need to start paying up.