Lunch of garment workers

By Golam Rabbany Sujon

First Published

Large industrial units/ offices/ organizations or factories have opportunities for lunch like canteen system from where workers get scope to take foods in cheap prices or easily. They also get scope to take tea, snacks, pure water etc. There is also a good numbers workers work in the garment factories in Dhaka city. Do you know the facilities of lunch for these poor garment workers? I have talked with some garments workers (especially with Masuma, Mafia who worked long days (10 years) in the garments factories) and find out this information. Masuma worked in 6 garment factories. She did not found any places for taking lunch in four garment factories and two factories had eating place/dinning place on the roofs where had not any furniture.

Masuma looks slim and also looks suffering from insufficient nutrition!!!
Same–same every garment workers----

Masuma told “Garment workers receive one hour to take lunch. Garment workers who live in long distance from their factories bring their lunch from their houses by lunch box or plastic pots. But garment workers who can go (on foot) to their houses within 15 minutes don’t want to curry their lunch. Because garment workers can take any poor dishes at their house like rice/stale rice with any vegetable mash or curry or stale food or anything what they have. But if they want to take they need something fresh or better items or they become shameful for poor foods to their colleagues.Garment workers walk very fast and they can go 1 kilo within 15 minutes. So, many garment workers can not take any rest for a while after taking lunch besides their speedy lunch. Garment workers who take lunch to the garment factories has to take lunch sitting on the stairs, balcony or standing on the moving places. They can not take lunch in their working spots.” She also told “garment workers don’t get supply of pure water. Garment workers collect water for drinking from the bathroom and some factories have basin. But is this water pure? But senior level officers have pure water facilities.” Masuma also told “garment workers often become sick. Usually they are affected by diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, gastric and other stomach problems etc. If garment workers suffer more days from sick, their salary has been cut and if they may be discharge from their job.” Masuma became sick three times in last few months and she mainly suffered from stomach problem. Mafia became sick two times in last two months and she had to take rest 20 days for being recovered from sick.

Rain cannot stop their walking when garment workers go to their house to take lunch as their lunch period is very short. We can often see that garment workers are going to take lunch while raining.

Garments industry players are being billionaires by the help of these poor, industry workers. Will it be very difficult to supply pure water for these garment workers while they are being sick often taking direct supply water? Will it be more expensive to arrange canteen/mass system for taking in the garment factories? Garments authorities can discharge the garment workers easily and they also can collect garment workers easily because there are available unemployed workers in Bangladesh. Are they taking this scope? These garment workers are also keeping a great role on our national economy. So, why government can not take a role to save them while they are demanding ration card of daily necessary things as they can go on with their little income?