Kutumbita is a tech start-up that aims to empower workers in the garment industry through an application designed to foster clear and equitable communication between employer and employee in firms which are too large for traditional communication channels.
Using Kutumbita’s app, workers can log complaints with their supervisors – and attach pictures such as that of a blocked fire exit – access details about their salary and benefits, schedule training programmes, apply for leave and exercise their rights as employees of an organisation. Management can also use it to send out emergency alerts, as well as resolve complaints speedily and with transparency.
Ready Made Garments (RMG) manufacturer SQ Group has signed up nearly 13,000 employees as the first client of Kutumbita, and provided 3,000 handsets to its workers.
SQ is using Kutumbita’s app to send notifications to workers, schedule training, accept leave applications, register complaints and conduct surveys. Because of Kutumbita’s role in digitally empowering the workers of SQ, the apparel manufacturer now has a higher rating for its factories than before, yielding more revenue in the long run.
Mr Warisul Abid, a director at SQ Group, said the app has enabled greater engagement with employees, lowering operation costs and enhancing productivity.
Kutumbita’s country manager Shahriar Rahman said the company’s “mission is to convert the non-desk workforce to first-time technology adopter and make sure they are heard”.
At present, there are over 4,000 garments manufacturing units in the country. According to estimates by labour rights groups, over half of these factories are at risk and the lack of fire safety, policies for evacuation in case of emergency and training all combine to make the workplace extremely hazardous for the average worker in the apparel industry. Kutumbita has provided scope for workers to take charge of their plight and point out the issues that they have with their workplace; these issues are then raised with the relevant authorities, who are expected to act on them immediately. If the authorities do not comply, problems will then be reported to the management, who will take necessary action against the individuals responsible. While reporting a problem, such as the common occurrence of a blocked fire exit, the workers who benefit from this app can attach images to better identify the problem and provide photographic evidence. Kutumbita is working on allowing users to upload video and audio along with complaint reports in an upcoming version.
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Source: The Daily Star, 24 June 2017