A total of 324,684 readymade garment (RMG) workers in Bangladesh lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), which found more than 1,900 RMG factories were shut down or its workers were laid off during this period. Four-fifths of them had no savings, while 27 per cent had reduced their food expenses as monthly wages turned irregular.
Around 26,500 RMG workers have been fired by 87 factories without following labour law provisions since March this year.A total of 324,684 readymade garment (RMG) workers in Bangladesh lost their jobs during the pandemic, says a study by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, which found more than 1,900 RMG units were closed or its workers laid off during the period.Four-fifths of them had no savings, while 27 per cent had reduced food expenses as wages turned irregular.#
The study, titled ‘COVID-19: Decent Work in Readymade Garment Sector’, was recently released by BILS in Dhaka.
Although the country’s export sector got Tk 5,000 crore as loan under the stimulus package to pay workers’ wages amid the pandemic and fight the COVID-19 fallout, its benefit did not percolate down to the workers, it found.
Almost every day since April this year, workers took to the streets demanding their wages or protesting job cuts and shutdown of factories, say workers’ union leaders, according to Bangla media reports.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
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