Assistant United States Trade Representative Mike Delaney on Sunday said that the anti-trade union actions of some of the garment factory owners were affecting the international reputation of Bangladesh’s RMG sector. ‘It may be that the factory owners who are not willing to work with the unions are a minority, but that should be no defence and should provide no comfort,’ he said in a meeting at Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry auditorium.
DCCI and American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh jointly organised the programme on the occasion of the first meeting of Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement.
The assistant USTR for South Asia said that the reports of harassment of the workers who formed unions is a particular concern for the international community and these cases of anti-union actions might become the latest ‘news’ story about Bangladesh.
Suggesting to develop effective mechanisms for labour-management relations, Mike said that these problems should be addressed directly as the issue is critical to the future success of the industry.
He said that the Tazreen Fashions fire and Rana Plaza building collapse were the failure of the factory owners to provide safe working condition and the inability of workers to raise their concerns.
Due to such failures, the US suspended the Generalized System of Preferences for Bangladesh, he said.
‘The purpose in suspending trade benefits, however, was not to penalise Bangladesh, but rather to send a strong signal about the urgent need to address these concerns,’ Mike said.
He emphasised on workers’ safety and rights and said no worker should have to put his or her life at jeopardy in order to earn a living.
When there is effective communication between workers and management, challenges such as building and fire safety can be addressed as a team as workers can be some of the best sources of information about risks in their own factories, Mike observed.
He said that the US, the European Union, the International Labour Organisation, brands and retailers, local and international unions, and the government of Bangladesh have been working together to develop sustainable solutions to the workers’ rights and safety challenges but much work remains to be done.
Mike hoped that the Tazreen Fashions fire and the Rana Plaza building collapse were a turning point that accelerated reforms within the industry.
‘The TICFA is the primary mechanism for the U.S. and Bangladesh to discuss trade and investment issues and provides a forum to address important related issues such as the environment, intellectual property protection, workers’ rights and workers’ safety, and the economic empowerment of women,’ he said.
The U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena, AmCham President Aftab ul Islam, DCCI president Mohammad Shahjahan Khan, among others, attended the programme.
-With New Age input
