Rights investigation
The lock must remain open in the Garment factories'
Farida Akther
On the occasion of International. Women's Day, Narigrantha Prabartana (NGP), Sramabikash kendra and Odhikar organised a protest meeting infront of "BGMEA" (Bangladesh Garments Manufacturing and Export Association.) at 4PM on 8 March, 2006. Most of the women participating in the protest were wearing black sarees and shalwar kamiz to symbolize the sadness as well as protest against incidents of fire and deaths-injuries of the workers. This will continue as a weekly event on every Wednesday up to 1 May 2006.
The theme of the protest rally is,
"Break the lock
Save the lives of
Garments workers"
Background
Just before the International Women's Day, we have seen the dreadful fire incident in a Readymade garment factory - the KTS Composite Textile Mill of Arina Group in Kalurghat, Chittagong leaving 85 dead, hundreds missing and injured. According to the newspaper reports, 'as soon as the fire started engulfing different floors of the factory building, the panic stricken workers tried to save their lives but they failed to get out as the two main collapsible gates were locked.' Another report says, 'with one of the two gates locked the workers were forced to rush down a single narrow staircase filled with thick smoke and poisonous gas of burning chemicals'. Even the firemen found the collapsible gates closed and therefore had to break them. But the garment workers could not break the gates. They were inside the factory and burnt to death. Those who survived are in now suffering.
The International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on 8 March every year. We may recall the history of the IWD which originated from the movement of the clothing and textile workers in New York city, USA in 1857. At that time, the garment workers protested against the very poor working conditions, long working hours and low wages. The context was definitely similar to ours, if not the same. It was the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialisation and economic expansion that led to exploiting women workers and denied their rights. Now in 2006, we are facing the similar situation in the face of globalisation and the WTO rules. Women continue to remain the most exploited labour force with no recognition and even letting them die in fire, not allowing them to save their own lives. There is a lock at the gate, which can only be opened if the Garment factory administration wishes. On the IWD, 2006 our demand is to unlock the gates and save the lives of the workers.
The International Women's Day was commemorated during the 1910s and 1920s, but dwindled. It was revived by the women's movement in the 1960s and 1970's. In 1975, which had been designated as International Women's Year, the United Nations gave official sanction to and began sponsoring International Women's Day broadening the the issues from the the struggle of women workers to celebrating for the economic, political and social achievements of women. Did we achieve that? Yes we did to some extent, and we did not in many spheres. But that does not stop the women movement from proceeding forward? The answer is definitely, NO.
8th March, 2006: Break the lock!
Since the day was preceded by a terrible incident in which hundreds of garment workers had to give life and also suffer injuries, three organizations Srama bikashkendra, Narigrantha Prabartana and Odhikar got together to focus on the issue of safety of life of workers during the working hours. The lock became a symbol of resistence, which has to be opened.
It was a meeting of protest against injustice and demand for the life of garments workers. Three orgnaizations have participated in the meeting. Shima Das Shimu, (Sramabikash kendra) said that garments workers are like any other eitizers of the country. They have the rights to enjoy their basic rights. But they have no chance for such facilities. They are working hard. Bangladesh earns most of its foreign exchange from the labour of eighteen lac workers (80% are women) who are working in 3500 factories. Although so many workers are working in the garments, there is no safe working environment. last 15 years, more than three hundreds workes had died in garments factories. In Baipail Savar last year 80 workers died and 84 were injured due to collapse of the factory building. Many workers were untraced. The working environments of garments are not safe for workers. According to the labour law a worker can work for 208 hours in a month. But they do their works for much longer time. Fire accident, fire ignition and other sorts of accidents are taking place in the garment factories every now and then because of illegal establishment of garments factories in the residential areas. Poor workers are giving their lives in these accidents. Now garments factories are made as a death trap. There is no security of life. There is no alternate stairs at the time emergency. A lock hangs on the gate. While working in the garments factories the workers are engulfed in dangers in every steps. After the accident we can see that some authorities give some money as compensation of life. A workers life cannot be measured only in monetary compensation. Now there are a number of constraints including series of accidents a lack of security, lack of proper environment are the impediments in the normal growth and development of garments sector. There is no monitoring system with equipment of fire extinguisher and fire prevention arrangement inside the factories. The gate is always locked.
Sayyida Akhter Kumkum, (Narigrantha Prabartana) said that the workers of garments factories have no minimum wage provision. Even the workers never get their monthly salary in time. There is no formal wage structure for the workers of private garments industries. The garments workers of our country play very important role in export earning. About 90% workers of garments industries are female. A major section of the rural women has chosen the garments in as a source of their livelihood. They work all the day and night, in exchange get a little amount of salary. Moreover, they have no security of life. The owners of garments factories disobey the labour law, industry and factory law and fire ordinance and have made the garments industry a death trap. In February 2006 the fire accident of 'KTS' garments in Chittagong took the lives of garments workers. The lock system is in every garments factories all over the country. They do not trust the workers. That's why they lock the gates.
Nazma (Odhikar ) said that Bangladesh is the best among the garments exporting countries of the world. Our country is earning a lot of foreign exchange through the works of garments workers. The workers of garments factories are working day and night. But they have no overtime salary for their additional work as per the rule of labour law. The salary of the garments workers is very poor. Now house rent and price of essential commodities have increased many times. Different workers union have demanded for their security of working place and minimum wage provision taka 2500. The working environment of garments factories are not so good. There is no security of life. The authorities think that the workers are not human being they are only machines. But we want to let them know that workers are not machine. They have their right to enjoy their basic rights.
So we demand at the BGMEA should provide the following:
- To lock from the Gate should be removed. The door should remain open during working hours.
- The security of the workers should be ensured.
- The workers must get their salary in time.
- The good working environment in the factories should be ensured.
- The families of the deceased workers and those who are injured must be given appropriate compensation. And those responsible for their death must be brought to justice.
In the protest meeting a big lock was there along with the banner with a danger sign on it to symbolise the risk posed by the lock to the lives of garment workers. The main demand is that the lock must remain open during the working hours of the factory. Lives of garment workers are valuable.
Every Wednesday from 8th March, a group representing Sramabikash Kendra, Narigrantha Prabaratana and Odhikar will stand wearing black clothes and carrying the big lock in front of the BGMEA for an hour between 4: 00 pm to 5 pm. please join us.
The author is women human rights activist.
