Editorial
Death of RMG worker and resultant uproar
Troubleshooting mechanism needs to evolve in industry
The chaos that descended around an RMG unit in Mirpur on Wednesday and kept traffic in a logjam is once more a sign of how matters keep going haywire in a vital economic sector. By closing down SQ Sweaters Ltd without any prior notice, the management of the unit only made matters worse. The clear issue here related to the death of a sick woman worker soon after she was allegedly forced to work overtime on December 30. Apparent failure of the management to reveal the contents of the autopsy report on the dead worker, Salma, only inflamed passions among the workers.
The SQ Sweaters owners should have been more circumspect in handling the crisis. As it is, their turning a blind eye to the poor state of health of a worker was not only a demonstration of extreme insensitivity but also a sign of questionable management. It only goes to show the glaring absence of a sophisticated management mechanism in industry, especially in the RMG sector. Such a reality cannot but be cause for continued worry. In the present instance, the incident of the death of the worker quickly snowballed into a situation we are all too familiar with. The workers of SQ Sweaters went on a wildcat strike, in which they were soon joined by fellow workers from other units. The management chose to simply shut the gates and put up a notice of closure. In other words, the incident in Mirpur only reconfirms the popular notion that to date no effective troubleshooting mechanism has evolved, particularly where garment units are involved. Every action only leads to more trouble.
In the present circumstances, we cannot but re-emphasise the principle that the garments sector remains a vital component of the national economy. It is also, because of a number of factors on a global scale, a beleaguered sector at present. The compulsions, therefore, for everyone to do nothing that will undermine it further need hardly be reasserted. Workers must know that their factories are their means of survival. And their employers must realise that profit motives must be tempered by thoughts of doing business that has a human face. It is a principle that the BGMEA can effectively promote both among workers and employers.
We urge that a swift inquiry be conducted into the death of Salma. At the same time, let the management and workers of SQ Sweaters find an honourable, quick way out of the present crisis through dialogue.
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