Since the outbreak of Covid-19, data from Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) shows that $3.18 billion worth of orders were cancelled from 1150 factories from mid-March till April 16, affecting approximately 2.28 million workers, leading to many workers being sent home without pay. In the midst of this crisis, trade unions in theRMG industry have stepped up to the front lines of the pandemic to negotiate the rights of the 4.1 million workers employed in this industry, demanding factory owners to comply with government mandated lockdowns by keeping factories shut and to protect the jobs and wages of the workers. Sadly, the reality of the RMG sector and all of its workers is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution in this unprecedented crisis.
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, data from Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) shows that $3.18 billion worth of orders were cancelled from 1150 factories from mid-March till April 16, affecting approximately 2.28 million workers, leading to many workers being sent home without pay. In the midst of this crisis, trade unions in theRMG industry have stepped up to the front lines of the pandemic to negotiate the rights of the 4.1 million workers employed in this industry, demanding factory owners to comply with government mandated lockdowns by keeping factories shut and to protect the jobs and wages of the workers. Sadly, the reality of the RMG sector and all of its workers is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution in this unprecedented crisis.
