Editorial
Frenzied attack on a string of RMG units
Why should an accident lead to such widespread violence?
Garment workers went on the rampage after two of their colleagues were knocked down by a truck in Savar on Tuesday with rumour making round that one of them had died. Incensed and aroused to frenzied action, they turned their ire, obviously misdirected, on no fewer than 30 garment factories, two banks and three markets. The losses must have run into crores, yet all this was triggered by an accident having little to do with the victims of the unprecedented vandalism.
While road accidents often invite this kind of trouble for the innocent bystanders and perceived enemies of those trying to settle scores, the Savar incident does prove that such outbursts are now a cause for great concern. Let's have a closer look at what happened in Savar. There is no doubt that our roads are not safe and it is also true that pedestrian safety is something that nobody bothers about. But the protesters almost always overlook the fact that their acts of wanton violence serve nobody, except perhaps those thriving on our miseries. It's not at all clear what they achieved by vandalising the garment factories and banks. At best, it is an indicator of unsound, even poor worker-management relations. At worst, it could be interpreted as manifestation of an evil design to keep the sector in a state of unrest. The sector has not had a smooth sailing in the last couple of years, thanks to labour unrest. It will surely be further weakened by such debilitating blows.
The owners, as we have said many times, have to concentrate on implementing the tripartite agreement, which was signed by them with the government and the workers' representatives. Obviously, any part of discontented workforce is a source of worry. And why shouldn't the poor workers get their due?
There is no denying that the workers have to behave in a lot more disciplined way if they don't want to destroy the very workplace that is their source of sustenance.
The BGMEA has sought the government's help to ensure the security of the garment factories. That's a natural response from the owners, but they should also delve deeper into the matter and sort out the problems that still plague the industry out of a consideration for the contribution the workers make to national wealth and their owners' profitability. The government, for its part, has to think in terms of tougher enforcement of the law to protect the factories that now appear to be badly exposed to vandalism.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments