A special orientation workshop has been held at BGMEA Complex to protect workers in the ready-made garment sector and stand by them in economic uncertainty. This day-long workshop on ‘Unemployed Workers Protection Program’ (UWPP) and ‘Labor Information Management System’ (LIMS) was organized on Thursday under the joint initiative of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the European Union-funded ‘TA-SPBS’ project, a press release said.
One of the objectives of this workshop organized at BGMEA Complex in Uttara was to provide a clear understanding of the implementation process of UWPP, beneficiary eligibility, registration requirements and digitalized labor information management system to the management authorities and HR officers of BGMEA member factories.
BGMEA Director Nafis-ud-Daula and Chairman of the Standing Committee on SDP Javed Hossain Bhuiyan were present at the workshop.
Representatives of government and international organizations included Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Employment and Director of the Central Fund Tahmina Begum, Assistant Inspector General of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments (DIFE) Al Amin, Advisor of the German Development Agency GIZ Mahbubul, Project Manager of the European Union (EU) funded TA-SPBS Valentina and HR representatives from more than fifty member factories.
While addressing the workshop, BGMEA Director Nafis-ud-Daula said that ensuring social security and welfare of workers is very important for the sustainable growth of the garment industry. The initiatives of the Central Fund are playing an effective role in helping the workers in crisis. The government, BGMEA and development partners should continue this joint effort to maintain the resilience of the industry and enhance the skills and institutional capacity of workers.
In his welcome speech at the event, Jabed Hossain Bhuiyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Skill Development Program of BGMEA, laid special emphasis on strengthening institutional coordination among factories and timely assistance to workers in times of unemployment or crisis.
Valentina, Program Manager of the European Union, called for strengthening the worker safety net through coordinated efforts of the industry, government and development partners. She said that it is important to create a sustainable institutional framework to ensure the rights and welfare of workers who are facing temporary economic crises. She also assured that the European Union will continue all kinds of supportive cooperation for the long-term social protection of workers in the garment sector.
Tahmina Begum, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment and Director, Central Fund, highlighted the benefits and implementation progress of the Unemployed Workers Protection Program.
Incidentally, the Unemployed Workers Protection Program is a modified version of the social security program that was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Through this project, which is run under the Central Fund of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, direct cash assistance of Tk 5,000 per month for a maximum of 3 months is provided through the Government-to-Person (G2P) digital system to temporarily unemployed workers due to factory closure, accident or maternity leave.
The workshop consisted of technical sessions and open discussions. Representatives from TA-SPBS presented the detailed process of applying and availing the benefits of the Unemployed Workers Protection Program. Al Amin, Assistant Inspector General, Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments (DIFE), highlighted the importance of digitalized labor information management system and practical aspects of data management. Emphasis was placed on keeping the factory payroll and NID information accurate so that no genuine distressed worker is deprived of benefits due to mistakes.
The workshop concluded with the closing remarks of Mahbubul, Advisor, GIZ. The entire program was moderated by Shayla Akhter Nova, Section-in-Charge and Deputy Secretary, Skill Development Program, BGMEA.
It was hoped that this joint initiative of BGMEA, government and international organizations will play an important role in creating a safe, equitable and sustainable working environment in the garment sector.
