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May Day: Global observance and national concern

SHAMIMA ISLAM
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May Day: Global observance and national concern
SHAMIMA ISLAM
MAY Day is globally observed. It reminds us simultaneously of workers' rights and nations' obligations to fulfil those rights. I appreciate the global concern, but what I fail to understand is the global gap and the promises and their failures. The day and the tragedy, which ignited the global concern, is not observed in its own land -- USA. It is funny to see that whole world is observing this particular day while USA observes its own labour day and not the May Day. In our country, in recent years although May Day is quite loudly pronounced, but tragedies still are silently skipped.
To me the Labour Day means something more. Every year this day reminds me of the unforgettable pictures and the news items concerning our garment workers who were roasted alive while on the job in the garment industries. These women industrial workers were invited to the industry sector and the garment industries provided a scope to them for some earning. But neither the industries, nor the state could protect them from such tragedies. These female workers were killed in fire hazards while on the job and except the immediate media coverage on the following day and some necessary actions on the part of their employers, almost nobody ever remembered them. What a great contradiction! While on every May Day we observe the occasion stressing global concern for labourers' rights and narrate vividly what happened in Chicago more than a century ago, we forget our own and recent experiences and fail to take renewed pledges as a nation. Why is this gap? Is it because these workers are women? Or, because the garment workers are a marginal group? Do we take for granted that
the garment workers are too powerless employees against the too powerful employers? One may ask me at this point -- why I bring this issue particularly? Needless to say, the whole matter pains me much. It demonstrates our pathetic neglect towards a vital segment of our nation's workers.
On May Day let us not forget that the garment industries accounted for 73.28 percent share in the nation's total exports (199798), amounting to 3781.94 million US$ and garment workers constituted an estimated 1.50 million in 2726 RMG factories in that particular year.
It thus suggests that garment sector's importance to national economy needs neither debate nor much dialogue to prove. Research
says that number of women workers in garment industries vary from 85 percent to 90 per cent from factory to factory, the vast majority of whom are neo-migrants (87 percent) to the cities belonging to landless or marginal economic cells and from illiterate families. This data from various studies suggests that female garment workers are a significant group who are over-worked and ill-paid in the industrial sector. But we should not forget that approximately 90 percent of this labour force contribute significantly to the household economy. Thus female garment workers in the industrial sector are a vital distinct force and deserve special focus and attention -- at least not the nation's neglect!
Every May Day should remind us that we killed our garment workers merely because of nation's neglect. It is an unforgivable offence and our shame! The clear violation of Factory Laws made our garment workers easy prey to fire hazards where they were trapped inside the factories.
Garment workers' susceptibility to fire hazard is unusually high as the raw materials used in the industries are highly inflammable. All the recent incidents have shown us that severe neglect in observing safety rules have made the garment workers victims. Doctor Protima Paul-Majumder mentions from Fire Brigade sources that upto November 1997, 58 fire accidents took place in garment industries killing 118 workers of whom 90
percent were female. Among the death casualties, about half of these workers died in stampede or while jumping from roof or verandah. In one incident, stampede killed 28 workers while there was false sound of plug burst. The research shows that due to violation of the Factory Laws, workers are trapped inside the factory rooms and all forms of stampedes, falls etc caused either death or sever injuries on top of direct roasting in fire and severe burns and permanent physical damages. Thus, our garment workers are victims not merely of professional hazards, but lack of empowerment means -- it is their life and death question too. On May Day we should remember especially those
who laid their lives at the alter of our national prosperity.
RMG as we see it, is our gateway to 'trading out of poverty'. Its emergence as a major industrial sub-sector calls for more research, more debates, more thinking and re-thinking as well as challenges. This sector is not merely labour intensive, it is female labour oriented industry. Women are chosen because of their dexterity and sincerity who can work despite the strenuousness and adverse working conditions. As garment sector is heavily oriented towards women labour force, the tendency to neglect labour issues is highly observed. But we forget that labour is an essential factor in our production, and the more attention we pay to our female workers, the better for us.
In recent years, many improvements, at least on paper, are claimed to have taken place. Let us hope that these are meaningful ones which will bring us not only prosperity, but ensure safety for our workers in the garment sector. Let these be seriously implemented.
May Day should bring in real concern and not any tokenism of effort. Media should portray reality and give much better coverage.
Let the education system of the country play meaningful role in teaching our future generation the reality and implications of the Labour Day.
I strongly feel that a symbolic cenotaph be constructed with the names of the victims of our garment industries who were killed in the factories engraved, where people from all walks of life will have a chance to pay their own tributes.
Shamima Islam is a social researcher and a women and development activist.
***In recent years, many improvements are claimed to have
taken place. Let us hope that these are meaningful ones which will bring us not only prosperity, but ensure safety for our workers in the garment sector.***