ITGLWF's Neil Kearney tells RMG sector to brace up
26 Dec '05
5 min read
The Bangladesh industry needs to wake up to the real world, recognise what is and what is not attainable and concentrate on building its competitivity not on concessions but on improved productivity, quality, delivery and social reputation – the four pillars for success in today's global market.
“What do I mean by 'social reputation'? Simply that production conditions don't pose a threat to the image of the brands or the retailers sourcing and marketing the products in question. Such brands and retailers spend a fortune on burnishing their image. A thirty- second news clip in the US or Europe highlighting exploitative conditions in a retailer's supply chain can undo years of costly advertising.”
Today's readymade garment industry poses just that threat to the brands and retailers sourcing in Bangladesh. While there are many fairly good factories there are many that are little better than sweatshops. The recent boom in the knitwear sector has spawned many new factories, which breach nearly every labour standard.
'Workers' rights abuses are often the norm. Just travel from Saver to Dhaka any night of the week. Garment factories are lit like Christmas trees till late at night. Twelve-hour days, seven days a week are not unusual. Many of these factories are death traps, cramped and overcrowded. What would happen in the event of a fire?"
“Throughout the industry workers are being cheated on wages. The knitwear industry appears to be particularly bad. Piece rates rob workers as they are rarely applied in a professional manner, are usually arbitrary, often not advised to workers and frequently a breakdown of wages is not given rendering it impossible to establish how wages are calculated. Any protest is met by dismissal. No wonder labour turnover is growing so rapidly in the industry."
marketing@alchempro.com
