A delegation of the European Union is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh capital Dhaka next week to have discussions with relevant stakeholders on the country’s labour sector.
Deputy managing director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service Paola Pampaloni will lead the delegation, which will have meetings with labour, commerce and foreign secretaries of the government apart from their talks with other relevant stakeholders.
The visit is aimed at taking ‘stock of progress’ in implementing the National Action Plan for the labour sector, EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley told UNB.
The delegation is likely to be here on November 12, said an official.
The roadmap aims to improve the country’s observance of labour rights including freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
Last month, Ambassador Charles Whiteley said aligning labour law with international standards will be an ‘essential element’ for the European Parliament and the Commission in considering Bangladesh’s application for market access, the GSP+.
‘Bangladesh has the option to accede to GSP+ which is the next most generous GSP programme after the Everything but Arms (EBA),’ he said while speaking at a seminar in Dhaka.
A delegation led by Mohammad Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, met with Paola Pampaloni at the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels a few months back.
They discussed further deepening of ties between European Union and Bangladesh, Everything But Arms (EBA), labour welfare and rights and other issues of mutual interest.
The delegation apprised Paola Pampaloni of Bangladesh’s impressive achievements in terms of economic performance and huge progress in terms of key socio-economic fronts where industrial sectors, especially the RMG industry, have made significant contributions.
Recently, the EU ambassador said the implementation of the National Action Plan on the labour sector, which Bangladesh agreed with the EU, will be a key deciding factor for GSP+.
‘We are closely following the ongoing amendments of the Bangladesh Labour Act. We hope that the amendments will be effective with full transparency, in consultation with tripartite stakeholders, and with technical assistance from ILO,’ the EU ambassador said.
The envoy said Bangladesh is a rising economy with a great story of economic development and social progress.
The graduation to lower middle-income status and to developing country status are historic milestones that bring new opportunities and call for a reinvigoration of EU-Bangladesh ties, he said.
New Age
