With our RMG factories having gone through several changes recently as a result of the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster, it is even more important that the industry takes care of its workers
Bangladesh Bank has recently signed an agreement with the BGMEA that will provide loans to factories to provide their workers with homes.
This is a welcome development that will not only benefit the workers, but also the factory owners themselves.
Many workers have to travel large distances just to reach their respective workplaces. Rent, too, eats up a significant chunk of their earnings, about 25%.
Single workers seem to be suffering the most, as it is very difficult for them to find accommodation, and when they do, the expenses are too high for them to sustain.
Eventually, some of them find themselves forced to live in dire conditions in slums.
This initiative will hopefully ensure that no workers in this sector — the primary driving force behind our country’s burgeoning economy — are left behind. It will also make it easier for workers to arrive at work on time, and save costs on accommodation that factories oftentimes need to provide.
Needless to say, this initiative will go a long way in improving worker efficiency and productivity in the RMG sector as a whole. For an industry that provides employment to 40 lakh people in the country, this is an important step.
Foreign envoys have remarked on the progress made by Bangladesh’s RMG industry, though they have also, rightfully, observed that more needs to be done — the industry requires more unions and, most importantly, sweeping improvements to workers’ safety conditions.
It is important, however, to keep in mind that the accommodations provided be affordable and offer adequate and safe environments for the workers to live in, amongst other necessary services such as health-care and education for their children.
With our RMG factories having gone through several changes recently as a result of the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster, it is only appropriate that the industry now makes it a priority to take care of its workers. That’s the least of what the industry, the nation in fact, owes these hard-working men and women.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
