Revision of the labour law by Parliament would be the ‘first true test’ of Bangladesh’s commitment to improving working conditions after the devastating Rana Plaza building collapse, the EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht has said.
Gucht said at a press briefing in Geneva after a high-level meeting on Monday that they were ready to help Bangladesh but stressed need to adopt a new law ‘at the end of this week or early next week’.
“The objective is to beef up crucial aspects of the Labour Law – notably freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining as well as improved occupational safety and health,” he said.
The EU Trade Commissioner hosted the meeting styled ‘Staying Engaged – A Sustainability Compact with Bangladesh’ in view of “improving conditions for workers in Bangladesh” after the recent disasters in its garment manufacturing industry.
EU, earlier, said it would stay engaged with the multi-million dollar industry, lifeblood of Bangladesh’s economy, despite the US decision to suspend preferential market access to certain commodities after more than 1,200 people died in recent a recent building collapse and factory fire.
Bangladesh announced several measures to ensure fire and factory safety.
The meeting brought together representatives of the government of Bangladesh including Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, the US government, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and representatives of employees, the industry and employers.
Gucht said he expected the revised labour law “to apply to all workers, including those in Export Processing Zones”.
“It is essential that the workers in such zones enjoy the same rights and working conditions as workers in other parts of Bangladesh”.
He said he realised that this would be ‘a challenging task’ for Bangladesh, but added he was “fully aware of the need for Bangladesh to receive support”.
“Let me be clear: The EU is ready to help,” he said, reaffirming the EU’s commitment to stand by Bangladesh’s major export industry of readymade garments.
Bangladesh enjoys an ‘extremely favourable’ trade regime under the EU’s ‘Everything But Arms’ initiative.
He said they had discussed the “Compact” with American partners. Compact is an agreement to improve labour rights, working conditions and factory safety in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry.
“They (America) are still in the decision-making process on joining the initiative,” he said.
Gucht said he took the initiative of convening this high-level meeting in Geneva “to reduce the risks of another Rana Plaza-type tragedy in Bangladesh”.
“All of us here today are committed to doing our upmost to prevent such a terrible loss of life in the future,” he said.
He said ‘Compact’ is a major multi-stakeholder or agreement to improve labour rights, working conditions and factory safety in the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh.
He said the ‘Compact’ committed all – the Government of Bangladesh, the European Union, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) – to a number of time-bound actions that mostly related to the tripartite agreement that the government earlier signed with the workers and employees in the presence of a high-level ILO delegation in Dhaka.
Gucht said the ‘Compact’ was ‘the start of a journey together’ and that he said ‘is not going to be easy’.
The ‘Compact’ asked to reform the Bangladesh Labour Law, improving building and fire safety by June next year and recruit 200 additional inspectors by the end of 2013, as part of the efforts to ensure regular visits to factories and assess them in terms of working conditions, including occupational safety and health, and compliance with labour laws.
The ILO will help to coordinate efforts and mobilise technical resources.
Source: Bd news24
