Extreme heat, harassment deeply hit RMG workers, productivity: Survey
98% of workers say they find noticeable changes in workplace temperatures
The country's ready-made garment (RMG) workers are experiencing alarming impacts of climate change, with almost all respondents (98%) in a survey reporting noticeable changes in workplace temperatures.
Of these, 85% said they experienced extreme heat, 78% reported a rise in climate-linked illnesses, and 41% noted frequent insect infestations in their homes.
The study, conducted in mid-2024 among 1,000 workers across Rampura, Ashulia, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chattogram, was presented in the capital today (28 September) at a dialogue titled "Just Transition and the Interplay of Climate Change, Labour Rights, and Gender in the Garment Industry." The event was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity, the Centre for Labour and Development, and The Business Standard.
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The findings revealed that climate change has severely undermined workers' productivity. While 27% reported a sharp decline, another 29% said their productivity had been slightly reduced. Female workers were hit harder, with 17% more women than men reporting significant reductions. Illness-related absenteeism was also widespread, with 46% of workers forced to take leave due to health problems.
Gender-based harassment remains pervasive in the sector, with 80% of female respondents reporting workplace harassment or discrimination. Moreover, 46% of workers said they did not receive adequate rest breaks – rising to 75% in Ashulia – while nearly three-quarters (73%) said they were not union members. Almost half (49%) claimed they were not properly informed about workplace health risks.
While 61% of workers acknowledged that some complaint procedures are available, 39% reported that no such system exists, leaving them without effective means to address harassment.
The report also linked climate shocks to the flow of rural workers into factories. Three in four respondents said they joined the RMG sector because climate-related events had devastated their traditional livelihoods in agriculture, fishing or other sectors.
Presenting the findings, Mohammad Golam Sarwar, an assistant professor of law at Dhaka University and director of Centre for Labour and Development, said climate change is directly undermining labour rights.
Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity Executive Director Kalpona Akter warned that "economic growth must not come at the cost of leaving workers behind." She stressed that workers' voices were missing from global climate and transition debates, adding: "We have a significant number of green factories, but the jobs inside them are mostly grey."
Solidarity Centre Country Programme Director AKM Nasim criticised the removal of safeguards in the 2022 labour rule amendments, noting: "Instead of reinforcing protections, factories are no longer even required to provide cool water."
Factory owners and government officials also joined the dialogue. Mohammad Hatem, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said transformation in the sector had been ongoing since the Rana Plaza tragedy, but criticised certain government policies on eco-friendly factories. On trade unions, he urged workers to be "responsible," noting that "responsible unions will not be opposed, but many are now disrupting production over undue issues."
Senior government representatives, including Shah Abdul Tarique, additional director general of the Department of Labour, and Md Mahfuzur Rahman Bhuiyan, joint inspector general of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, also addressed the event.
