Tawhidul Islam Chanchal: Covid-19 (Corona Virus Disease) has become the biggest threat ever to the world. Till now 1,858,789 cases found in 204 countries while more than 114,000 people have died. Likewise Bangladesh also passing very hard time where 39 people have died 803 infected.
The impact of the coronavirus is having a critical impact on the global economy and that includes Bangladesh. Bangladesh is passing very hard time especially in export sectors. The coronavirus pandemic had broken out in more than 70 percent of its total export destinations, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada and the European Union countries. And its highest export sector RMG is the victim of massive loss. According to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) orders for nearly 650 million garments, worth a total of US$2.04 billion have been cancelled, which has directly impacted 738 factories and about 1.42 million workers. The numbers are increasing day by day and putting the industry to an uncertain condition.
The RMG owners and employees are facing the cruel time ever that resulting lay off, retrenchment, delay payment, Job insecurity, closures of factories and many more. The government has announced a Tk 5000 crore stimulus package for the wage of export industries but according to Bangladesh bank governor this package is only for workers! But we believe that a lot of owners treat their employee equally and so somehow they will provide the wages of all of their employees including staff. On the other hands, many of the owners have kept the decision pending and provided wages only to the workers that created a panic among the mid-level management who have limited incomes and opportunities.
As a result of pending decisions the social media platforms especially Facebook has waved through a lot of screams. Finally, the wave has reached a group of people led by Mr. Abdul Alim and they have initiated a Facebook group named, “COVID-19 RMG Employment Impact”. This group has an aim to support the HR/Compliance/ Admin midlevel management who are passing through a hard time. As of today this group has total of 652 members with a target to reach 1000 and includes all levels from senior to junior professionals.
In primary stage the group is generating different polls to understand the present status of the professionals. Later will finish with planning and executing.
In the continual process, Mr. Shaheduzzaman Robin as an admin of the group has generated a poll to know the management decisions during the pandemic situation. It was to understand the present livelihood condition of the above-mentioned professionals.
The poll has 9 parameters and they are;
1. The company has provide Paid Leave
2. The company has declared Lay Off
3. The company has advised to Work from home (Home Office)
4. Decision Pending
5. Leave without Pay
6. The company has advised to present and work from workstations (Still Working)
7. The company Will be adjusted with Earn Leave
8. The company Will be adjusted with Others Leave
9. The company has declared a Shut Down
The overall duration of the poll was 5 days and got 203 responses so far. A summary of the poll is given below;
So according to the above analysis, 61.6% of professionals are in stable condition as they either have received their payment or will receive. Also as they are staying home so they are on a safe site.
27.6% of professional whose factories have declared lay off are also staying home so they are also safe. But they may feel insecure in terms of take home pay and employment.
The 6.9% of professional who did not receive any decision or advice may feel insecure in terms of payment and employment.
The professionals have received leave without pay (3.4%) may face financial crisis in forthcoming days.
0.5% professional still working is in a vulnerable condition which may lead them to infect by Corona Virus.
However, the “COVID-19 RMG Employment Impact” is generating more surveys to come to a conclusion those will be shared time to time.
Writer: HR & Compliance Professional
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