The German Ambassador Albrecht Conze has remarked upon the ongoing unrest in the readymade garment industry, saying that “widespread violence, unrest and turmoil are in nobody’s interest.”
Outbreaks of vandalism rightly need to be condemned as they are not representative of the vast majority of RMG workers and achieve nothing to further their legitimate concerns.
It is clear though that the industry needs a better system for dialogue between factory owners and workers. At factory level, this would facilitate improved safety and compliance as is already accomplished in better factories and nationally it would make pay disputes simpler to negotiate and help to prevent spontaneous “wildcat” incidents.
Deep seated resistance to trade unions among some BGMEA members has not helped to build dialogue. The recent comment by the BGMEA acting president, that anarchy in the sector is being created as ‘’part of a both international and local conspiracy,’’ is fanciful and inspires little confidence.
Likewise, trade unions themselves also need to change as they have too often been highly politicised or unrepresentative of the largely young female workforce on whose labour the apparel industry depends.
Industry insiders say the recent spate of industry unrest spiraled out of control due to the absence of a recognised representative for workers who could effectively negotiate with owners.
The way forward is obvious. Representation of workers at all levels needs to improve to ensure the workforce’s concerns are properly heard and to allow for responsible dialogue to build a system of mature industrial relations.