JAAF launches Viru Diani:

Recognition for toiling apparel worker

Gamini WARUSHAMANA

Finally they have decided to recognise the value of the sweat of apparel industry workers that earn billions of dollars as export revenue while politicians boast of and industrialists pile up their profits.

Viru Diani......earns billions of dollars

The Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) and the Ministry of Industries last week announced a campaign Viru Diani (Heroic Daughter) to recognise contribution of apparel industry workers. The campaign launched on February 4 to coincide with the Deyata Kirula national development exhibition in Buttala will be held all throughout the year from village to village where around 240 apparel manufacturing factories are located.

Over three decades the industry faced various difficulties but grew steadily maintaining its top position as the main export industry in the country. By the end of 1970s and 1980s the industry attracted a huge unemployed low skilled labour force into garment factories in Free Trade Zones (FTZs) in Katunayake and Biyagama.

Mainly young girls who migrated from far away villages had to undergo many hardships without even basic facilities. Since unskilled labourers were abundant they were exploited and as a result many social issues were created.

Garment workers did not get a reasonable wage or enjoy economic benefits or social status under the circumstances. Therefore, lack of social recognition of the garment workers is not a scenario that was created by the media by neglecting them as the organisers of this campaign claim.

However, with the growth of the industry the status of the apparel industry workers too improved. It is also not something that was given on charity basis by the industrialists or the government, but was market created. It should also be noted that none of these gains are a result of trade union action because the collective bargaining power of FTZ employees are suppressed.

However, as supply of labour contracted into this lowly recognised profession, the industrialists have to move to rural areas with their factories, offer a reasonable wage and other facilities. On the other hand the huge competition from other countries compelled the industrialists to offer better working conditions, benefits and market their products as by adding labels such as ethical apparel products.

The buyers became smarter and especially in the US and EU, consumers were keen on these ethical production practices as well as environment issues. Tags such as cleaner and greener products added to our apparel products and better working environment the workers received are a result of all these efforts. Today the industry is well established and earns over a US$ 3 billion export income as the largest exporter. The industry provides direct employments to over 400,000 people of which over 60 percent are women. According to JAAF skill the production capacity in the country is not sufficient to cater to the demand. Industrialists say that there are a large number of vacancies in garment factories at free trade zones. The profession has become a lucrative business today but still the bad image in society, based on the perception created at the initial stages of the industry, still remains the same. As a result the industry is not attractive to the younger generation.

Today apparel workers are privileged and enjoy better benefits compared to clerical workers in the government sector. They enjoy better salaries in addition to other facilities such as transport, free meals and health insurance. The small companies that were unable to provide these benefits and were struggling to survive and collapsed at difficult situations the industry faced such as the end of the quota system, global economic crisis and recently the end of GSP+. Those factories were acquired by larger companies.

After the end of the 30-year conflict the industry is now ready to leap forward with new business plan, and a target of additional US$ 1 billion export revenue. JAAF has revised its five-year growth target and has set a new target of US$ 5 billion export revenue in 2016.

They enjoy better salaries in addition to other facilities such as transport, free meals and health insurance

As a solution to the shortage of workers the industry strategically moved to rural villages. In late 1980s it was with the support of the government with various incentives and today they are willingly moving because now it has proven the best location for this green manufacturing industry is rural villages.

It is convenient to apparel industry workers, especially for women. The industry contributes to reduce regional imbalance in development by injecting huge money into the rural economy. The industry is now eying the untapped human resources in the North and the East and industrialists said that they are waiting till the government complete the development of infrastructure in the North and the East.

Already nine investors have applied to set up factories.

All Sri Lankan apparel industrialists have proven that the industry is strong enough to face any doldrums. It managed to survive in the global financial crisis even under uncertainty about the GSP+ concession to the EU market. Even without GSP+ industry is optimistic and 11 months results in 2010 shows an increase in exports. Global political economic situation too has created a positive impact on the Sri Lankan apparel industry.

According to JAAF manufacturing capacity in all our competitors other than Bangladesh is declining. The industry is now explor- ing at new markets such as Japan, Brazil, China, Thailand and India and promotions will be launched in these countries with the support of the government.

Sri Lanka's image as a world leading apparel producer is built on building blocks such as quality products, credible delivery, ethical production practices such as not use child labour and green production initiatives.

This initiative that the whole nation is recognising the true value of the sweat of the apparel industry workers will open a new chapter in the industry. It will attract more man power to the industry increasing production capacity as well as improve the image of our products in the international markets.