Brief History
The National
Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) is a countrywide trade union federation of
garment workers in Bangladesh. NGWF is the biggest and strongest federation in
the garment sector of the country. It was founded in 1984. Its central office
is situated in Dhaka metropolitan city. There are 8 branch offices of NGWF in 8 garments
industrial zones: - Chittagong, Savar, Ashulia, Mirpur, Gazipur, Konabari,
Kashimpur and Narayangonj. 41 registered factory unions are affiliated with the
NGWF. The Federation also have 1,232 factory committee. Total membership of the
federation (till August 2016) is 68,525. Of them 40,100 are women & 28,425 men. of which 24,746 are women and 18,655 men.
There are 24 full-time organizers of the NGWF. The NGWF has a 30-member
central executives committee (CEC) of which 17 are women. The Central Executive Committee is elected by
the National Council (Congress) 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 the members of Bangladesh Garment Workers Unity Council
(an umbrella organization of 10 garment workers federation). NGWF is also one
of the member organizations of the conciliation cum arbitration committee (a
joint body of 8 registered garment workers federations and BGMEA for
conciliation and resolution of disputes). NGWF is affiliated with IndustriAll
(former ITGLWF) and TWARO. NGWF is being involved with all the important
struggles of garment workers, including several strikes since 1984, of
Bangladesh.
NGWF (January to August 6, 2013) some
recent achievements, such as:
NGWF played
important role in realizing compensation for dead workers (those could be
identified) of Tazreen Fashion fire. Each of the family of 103 workers received
TK. 700,000 (US$ 8,871.98) and realizing 3-month wages for all workers. The
bodies of severely burnt (beyond recognition) workers are now under DNA
investigation so that their families could get compensation after completion of
the investigation.
Smart Export
Garment Ltd. fire: NGWF and BNC (joint committee of IndustriAll affiliates)
together could be able to realize compensation under the `loss of earnings’ definition for all the 8 dead workers. Each of
the injured workers of Smart Export Garment fire got Taka 500,000 (US$ 6,337)
as compensation. And each of the workers (those not injured) got Taka 15,000
(US$ 190.11) as compensation.
NGWF (January
to June, 2013) total new membership – 5,143 (Female = 2,797 and Male = 2,346)
NGWF (January
to August, 2013) total new registered basic unions is 7.
Capacity Building:
NGWF
Organized 06 General membership training with a total participants of 214
(Female-109, Male-105).
02 Women
Leadership trainings with total participants of 64.
NGWF
organized different type of mobilization-events such as Human chains, rallies, procession,
sit-in strike and hunger strike to realize workers’ demands and create public
opinion.
NGWF gave
some token financial support to the 870 Tarzeen Fashion and Rana Plaza victim
garment workers (dead and injured workers).
Networking
and round-table discussions with trade unions and labour and textile NGOs.
NGWF organized
rally and procession on International Women Day, 8 March 2013, and also
published 8000 posters and 30,000 leaflets that were distributed to the garment
factory, workers and other places demanding removal of legal discrimination
between public and private sectors women workers regarding Maternity leave.
NGWF organized
a big rally followed by a procession on May Day, May 1, 2013, and also published
8000 copies of poster for demanding for safe workplace, free trade union rights
and living wages in RMG sector.
13 factory-disputes
(involving total 8382 workers (Female 5163, Male-2967) were resolved through
NGWF in 2013. The workers received total Taka 14,060,800/-(US$ 1,78,210.39)
NGWF
provided Legal-aid support to workers on 1,380 separate incidents & cases
from January to June 2013.
NGWF – 22-08-2013
