Uncertainty has gripped the garment workers fearing that the owners will not be able to pay their salaries and bonuses in time before the Eid-ul-Fitr due to production disruption.
Country's intelligence agencies fear that there can be workers’ unrest in the country. They suggested taking adequate precautionary measures from now on to avert any untoward situation.
The state intelligence agency report highlighted the present situation of the country, including the negative effects of misleading news in the garment industry, international labor market, stock market, closure of border hats, fear of movement on mass transit, rumors and others.
According to the report, garment industry's machinery, fabrics, yarn, buttons, painting chemicals and raw materials, which account for 70 percent of the total demand, are imported from China. Due to the shortage of equipment, the production of small and medium garment factories is under threat. It is feared that workers’ salaries will be cut off.
According to BGMEA president Rubana Huq, due to the spread of pandemic coronavirus foreign buyers are cancelling their placed work orders.
"We have got update of 1089 factories in our server. Based on the information we have come to know till now 873236622 work orders worth US$ 1.48 billion are cancelled. 12 lakh workers are engaged in these factories", she added.
According to BGMEA information, at present there are 4621 garment factories in the country. Of the total, around 2500 factories are directly involved with exports.
According to the intelligence report of the government, when it comes to Eid, many garment factories will fail to pay their workers’ salaries and bonuses. RMG workers every year create unstable condition, vandalism and road blockade in the garment sector.
Lack of raw materials, factories may not be able to continue their production, which may delay the salaries and bonuses of the workers. This may create law and order situation in the factories across the country, the intelligence report stated.
Meanwhile, RMG workers’ leader Bahrane Islam Babar demanded granting leaves to garment workers with full pay fearing the virus outbreak.
"As the government has cancelled any type of gathering, garment is also a place of gathering, where huge people work continuously. If virus spreads there, it will be a catastrophe", he added.
