Labour rights leaders and readymade garment factory owners on Sunday demanded that global buyers should give fair prices for the apparel items and contribute to the Bangladesh’s effort to ensure workers safety and maintain international labour standards.
At a session of US-Bangladesh partnership Dialogue on labour rights, they also requested the US government for not withdrawing GSP facility for Bangladeshi products.
The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry organised the dialogue at its auditorium in the city.
At the meeting, Darryl Kmudsen, senior adviser on business and human rights of GAP Inc, said that GAP would continue its business with Bangladesh and work together for ensuring labour safety.
‘Global brands should pay reasonable price for products so that factory owners can pay a decent salary to workers,’ said Roy Ramesh Chandra, former general secretary of Jatiya Sramik League.
Buyers should also invest a portion of their profits for the welfare of workers as they produce products for them, he said adding that buyers should have long-term business with Bangladesh instead of withdrawing export orders following an incident.
He also requested Karen Hanrahan, US deputy assistant secretary for democracy, human rights and labour, for taking steps so that US buyers like Walmart and GAP sign the proposed fire and building safety accord to ensure workplace safety in the RMG factories in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association former director Osama Taseer said buyers and international community should not hold the whole RMG industry responsible after one or two bad incidents.
‘We will have to be cautious to avoid incidents like Rana Plaza collapse while buyers will have to pay fair price,’ he said.
Karen Hanrahan said, ‘Bangladesh has taken lots of steps but it has a long way to go before it can ensure labour rights including safety, freedom of associations, collective bargaining and other issues.’
The USA will always support and work with Bangladesh in implementing any initiatives taken for betterment of workers, she said.
Kmudsen said, ‘The GAP on moral ground supports the proposed fire and building safety accord but it can not sign it due to differences in laws in USA and European Union.’
‘But we will work with Bangladesh to ensure workers safety and rights and I think, we will continue our business with the country,’ he said.
GAP will inspect at least 20 per cent of factories producing products for them and will take a comprehensive plan for workers safety.
Former Bangladesh ambassador to US Humayun Kabir said, ‘Buyers have had important role for ensuring workers safety as buyers are the integral parts of production process.’
Former DCCI president Asif Ibrahim, Bangladesh Trade Union Centre general secretary Wazid-ul-Islam Khan and Bangladesh Employers Federation secretary general Faruk Ahmed spoke, among others, at the programme.
-With New Age input
