GARMENT INDUSTRIES IN BANGLADESH
&
National Garment Workers
Federation ( N.G.W.F)
Garment Industries In Bangladesh :
At present, there are 5000
garment
factories in
Bangladesh . All these 5000 factories
are 100% export oriented .
Total number of garment workers are
3.6 million.
EPZ (Export Processing Zone) / FTZ: In
Bangladesh, there are 8 EPZ (Export Processing Zone) / FTZ. Among
these 8 EPZ, there are 325 factories. In 2 EPZ there is no garment factories.
In the other 6 EPZ, there are more than 220 garment factories on which more
than 200,000 garment workers are working. These 220 garment factories also 100%
export oriented. There are 3 Type of Ownership in side the EPZ factories: A.
100% foreign investment .B. Joint
venture. C. Local / National.
For Local Market : Beside these 5000 and 220 garment factories outside and inside EPZ,there are more
several thousands garment factories in Bangladesh. These several thousand
factories for the local market and small in size like 10 to 100 workers.
Main Importers : Garment is the biggest industrial sector of Bangladesh
Types
of garment productions : Mainly 3types of garment produced in Bangladesh: Woven , Knit and Sweater .
Bangladesh had been pursuing the
strategy of Export Oriented Industrialization ( EOI ) since mid of 1980,s. The
New Industrial Policy(NIP) of 1982 and
the revised industrial policy of 1986 of the Bangladesh government enforced the
Liberalization drive. As a result RMG factories growth become very quickly.
CONDITION OF GARMENT
WORKERS
In Bangladesh,
there are 3.6 million garment workers
are working in 5000
garment factories. 85% are women worker. Though garment is the biggest
industrial sector
and covering major portion of export but the condition of the Garment workers is still
inhuman. They work with lowest wages, longest working hours,
unsafe working conditions. Many of the Workers do not have the Appointment letter/contact letter,
Service book, Identity card, Wage slip. Most of the workers do not have
the housing facilities, Provident fund, Social security or
Medical facilities. Most of the cases management do not provide Transportation
facilities. Many of the workers work
14 to 16 hours per day and many cases 7 days in a week. They are the
lowest paid workers of the country. In 1994 Government had declared Minimum wage for the garment workers
(sewing machine
helper) was Tk.930/ ($13) per month. After 12 years, in 2006 government
declared minimum wage for the lowest (sewing machine helper) as TK1662/ ($ 23)
per month. As a
result of strong campaign and struggle, last
year 2010 minimum wage declared as TK 3000/ ( $ 36 ) per month ( for sewing
helper, grade no–7) and for Skilled sewing machine operator as TK. 4218 ( $ 50 )
per month. In the mean time price of the commodities become hike but garment
workers wage did not increased.
According to the law of the country, garment workers have the trade
union rights (Right to organize and Right to
bargaining, ILO convention 87 and 98).
But in reality they do not
have.
Women workers are facing more
problems. Many cases they are not
getting maternity leave. Most of the
factories do not
have the child care center. They face discrimination in wage, Rights, Dignity
and promotion.
NATIONAL GARMENT WORKERS
FEDERATION (NGWF)
The National Garment
Workers Federation (NGWF) is a militant registered countrywide trade union
federation of garment workers in Bangladesh. NGWF is the biggest and strongest
federation in the garment sector. It
was founded in 1984. Its central office is in Dhaka
metropolitan city. There are 8 other
branch offices of NGWF in other 8 garments industrial zones--Chittagong, Saver, Ashulia, Mirpur, Gazipur, Konabari,
Kashimpur and Narayangonj. 34 registered
factory unions are affiliated with the
NGWF. The federation also have 1,204 factory committee. Total membership of the federation is 38,258.
There are 13 full
time and 21 pert-time organizers of the
NGWF Women members numbers 21,949 and
men 16,309. Among the 30
central executives of the NGWF, 17
including the General Secretary, two
Vice-Presidents and Treasurer are
woman. Members of the federation
elect the Central Executive Committee. Election held biannually. Main financial source of the federation is
subscription of its members. Many of its activities also done in partnership
with democratic trade unions,
woman organizations, NGOs and development organizations. NGWF is the initiator
and one of member organization of Bangladesh Garment Workers Unity Council (an
umbrella organization of 10 garment workers federation). NGWF is also one of
the member organization of conciliation cum arbitration committee
(a joint body of 8 registered garment workers
federations and BGMEA for conciliation and arbitration). It is affiliated with ITGLWF and
TWARO. National Garment Workers Federation is being
involved with all the important
struggles of garment workers including several strikes since 1984.
Mission and Vision of
the NGWF
a. Ensuring fair wages for the workers.
b.
Establish workers’ rights and Human rights.
c.
Ensure equal wages, equal rights and
equal promotion for the women workers.
d.Improve working condition and
environment in workplaces.
e. Struggle
to establish a democratic, develop and
progressive society.
f. Eliminate
gender discrimination from the working class and society.
Main activities :
1.
Organize and unite the garment workers.
2.
Formation of plant (factory) level unions and
coordinate factory-based struggles.
3.
Initiate and conduct countrywide campaign and fight
for the betterment of garment workers.
4.
Support, cooperate and conduct factory base campaign
and struggle of the workers.
5.
Organize countrywide campaign for
better
wage structure for the garment workers.
6.
Lobbing with the government, civil
Society and
other stake-holders for
The
betterment of garment workers.
7.
Raising of awareness among garment workers.
8.
Organizing training and education programs for the
garment workers and organizers.
9.
Conducting special training and education programs for
the women workers.
10. Providing legal aid to the members
and garment workers.
11. Publish
workers’ magazines, news letters and other materials for the garment workers in
local and easy language.
12. Cooperate
with the unemployed and dismissed workers to get new jobs.
13. Awareness
building among workers on health and environment and provide health facilities
to them.
15.Support and participate in the
struggles of workers of other sectors for democratic rights and women
emancipation.
16.Actively
participate in social trade unionism.
17. Building
solidarity with international trade unions, democratic and women struggles.
Major struggles and
achievements of the NGWF
The NGWF continues to fight for the establishment of
rights and improvement of life of the garment workers in Bangladesh from its very inception in 1984. During the
last 27 years, the organization and it allies
launched
activities, struggles and
campaigns
in many major areas. The NGWF, during this period, observed many types of
action programs, including a number of strikes. And in course it has some
considerable achievements such as:
1.Organiz ing
and Uniting : The first area is to organize and uniting garment
workers, who were unorganized and weak. Due to relentless efforts, the NGW
became successful in organizing and uniting a considerable number of workers
and it has
emerged
as the largest organization of the RMG sector in the country.
2.Legal Documents for the Workers : The second was launching struggles to force the factory owners and managements to
provide legal rights to the workers such as introduction of appointment or
contract letter, ID card and service
book. As a result of the campaign a number of factories providing appointment
or contract letters to workers, giving ID cards.
3. Regularities in monthly payment : NGWF organized campaigns and a lot of actions for
monthly payment regularly and in time ( within 7th of the next month
). Because of these activities now most of the management are now paying wages within
7th of the next month.
4.
Introducing Weekly Holiday and other Holidays
: NGWF organized a lot of action
for the implementation weekly holiday and other holidays. Now many of the factories are
abiding by the law and introduced holidays.
5.Implementation of May Day
as Paid Holiday : Earlier May Day holiday was not implemented in the RMG
sector. Because of NGWF campaign and actions May Day Holiday is fully implemented
in the RMG sector.
6.Wage Board and wage Increase : Earlier there
was no minimum wage board for the garment workers . Different factories were
paying according to their own choice . NGWF organized campaign and put pressure
to the government as well as owners association . As a result minimum wage
board for the RMG workers formed. NGWF also playing important role for the
fixing up the minimum wage for different grade of RMG workers .
7. Festival Bonus : Earlier festival bonus was not following in the
garment sector . NGWF did a lot to realize festival bonus , some time in its
own way , some time jointly with others. As a result now it is all most
established.
8. Safe Workplace: Fire and garment workers dead was one of the major
issue . NGWF organized and till organizing
campaign
for safe workplace and congenial working atmosphere. As a result of this
campaign,
management of many factories
stop
locking factory gate, constructed emergency exit way and had hold fire-drill to
avert tragic accident.
9.Sex discrimination and
harassment : from the beginning NGWF involve to address to
stop sexual discrimination, harassment and achieve gender equality.
The law of the country now
forbids gender discrimination in term of wages and gender equality. The NGWF
has and will continue its fight against gender equality.
10. Maternity Leave : NGWF organized a lot of activities for introduce of maternity
leave
for woman workers. The struggles
appointment
in job. A large section of the people, including workers, are now voicing
protest against gender
discrimination,
which is deep-rooted in the society. It will take longtime to achieve had paid
as some of the factories are providing maternity
leave now.
11. Responsibility of the MNC,s ( Brands )
:
NGWF become success to bring at least some of the MNC,s to share
responsibilities with the local factories in the case of fire , workers death
and other emergency needs.
12. Fair wage Fair Trade:
NGWF is very much keen that
fair wage related fair trade/ price. MNC,s / Brands all ways
depriving the manufacturers countries from the fair price of the products. NGWF
raised its to ensure Fair Trade .
Amirul Haque Amin
President
National Garment Workers Federation
