Garment sector needs foresighted action

The recent resurgence of labour unrest in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry in major areas, including Ashulia and Gazipur, has raised serious questions about the stability of the entire sector, with, according to available information, around 146 garment factories being forced to suspend production. Given that the sector provides employment to approximately four million workers and serves as the country’s primary source of foreign exchange earnings, its present vulnerability is one that our economy cannot afford and, thus, should not be taken lightly.
Considering the recent developments, it is fair enough to comment that the root cause of this crisis is far beyond just wage demands. It is beyond any logic why labourers take to the streets while the Minimum Wage Board is undertaking its work to ensure that wages remain commensurate with the rising cost of living. Certainly, vested interest groups and third parties are deliberately spreading rumours in an attempt to aggravate an already volatile situation. The deployment of law enforcement agencies and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) can be taken as a temporary measure to restore order, but structural discontent of this nature cannot be resolved through the use of force or administrative crackdowns alone.
No wonder, prolonged instability in this sector will severely undermine our country’s competitiveness in the international garment market, which is evident in the current situation where foreign buyers have already begun exploring alternative sourcing destinations and are forecasting a decline in orders, putting considerable pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves. Indeed, factory closures are a measure similar to a double-aged sword. On the one hand, owners incur substantial financial losses, and wage earners and working-class families face severe uncertainty over their livelihoods on the other.
Therefore, there is no alternative for the government but to take immediate, effective and transparent measures to overcome this crisis. Alongside expediting and making the Minimum Wage Board’s proceedings more effective, a pragmatic balanced resolution must be reached that addresses the legitimate demands of workers. At the same time, strict legal action against those spreading misinformation and instigating disorder is imperative. Most of all, employers and workers must recognise that the destruction of the industry will serve neither side’s interests.