Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine July Issue 2018 | Page 10

MINDTREE TO ADVERTISE GOING TO A GOOD EVENT? Contact Rani Mahendru [phone] (512) [email protected] Send your industry gossip, photos and news to [email protected] Q-and-A Bangladesh has reportedly decided to ease regulations for the formation of trade unions in garment factories. Do you think this move would help to improve the country’s not-so-satisfactory image in the global forum and boost exports? Please share your views… Maashed Rumman Abdullah Director, Dressmen Limited Ashis Kumar Das CEO, Aryatex Sourcing I think this question is better answered by the global customers because they are the ones who make the strategy to source from Bangladesh. I am personally in favour of trade unions in garment factories for the welfare of the workers and the readymade garment industry in general. But if truth is to be told, these so-called trade unions are widely used to further political gains by some vested interests. As far as my customers are concerned, Bangladesh has risen significantly by leaps and bounds in terms of image and we are now the role models for factories in Asia.  If one looks at the reality, no significant or well-meant steps are taken for the welfare and improvement of the garment industry as well as for garment workers by these trade unions. Due to wrong practice of Trade Unionism, lots of garment units are in threat of extinction owing to spiralling labour cost. One needs to understand that RMG sector is a labour-intensive industry and the trade unions should work positively as a part and parcel of the industry body. To develop trade unions and ensure just labour practices, we need well-informed, conscious and educated workers’ society, which can understand and work for the growth of the country’s economy. Khondoker Mahibur Rahman (Sumon) Managing Director, Stanley Fashion BD I personally believe each and every trade union or any organisation should be under some rules and regulations. I feel that firstly we have to think about our garments’ sector and not about the worker. If there will be no garments, we would not need any garment worker or trade union as such. Currently what the trade union leaders are doing is asking for workers’ satisfactory salary, their job security, etc. I think the worker’s salary ought to be fixed automatically and no rule needs to be made for the same as such. Each and every country and people in different professions have different options and scales of income. A doctor’s remuneration and a driver’s salary will never be the same. As such, I feel, people need to decide, including the workers as to what are their requirements in terms of money, based on which one should opt for the right kind of job. 10 Apparel Online Bangladesh | July 2018 | www.apparelresources.com I feel the Government and the BGMEA should take the trade unions under a controlled formulation of practice to ease the regulations of trade unions totally. In this direction, we should follow China’s Textile & Apparel policy, even though it will not be very easy for us to do. POST YOUR COMMENTS www.apparelresources.com [email protected] NEXT MINDTREE QUESTION Workers’ turnaround after Eid is a big concern for many garment manufacturers… Have you encountered any such issue pertaining to workers’ failing to turn up for work after this Eid ul-Fitr, which may have impacted your business? Please share your views with us…