Communication between owners, workers stressed

Speakers in a social dialogue stressed increasing inter-communication between owners and workers to ensure the development of the tannery industry.

Fair industrial relations play an important role in increasing the image, branding, and productivity of the industry and creating a decent working environment for factories, they said at the dialogue organised by the Asia Foundation and Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF) at a city hotel in Dhaka on Tuesday.

In the discussion, the speakers presented several recommendations to improve the relationship between the owners and workers in the tannery industry like the garment industry of the country, said a press release.

The development agency of the government will have to work to increase the inter-communication between the owners’ associations, trade unions and workers of the tannery industry like the garment industry, they said.

This will remove the trust crisis, and implement the government-approved action plan to ensure social compliance in the leather industry, they added.

The speakers emphasised establishing effective management methods for human resource development and administration; developing and practising effective communication policies and leadership types and developing different types of codes of conduct at the factory level.

Representatives and negotiators from the International Labour Organization (ILO) stressed the need for creating a culture of bilateral dialogue and responsible conduct at the factory level to solve the labour problem in the industry.

Professor Dr Hasnat M Alamgir of the State University of Bangladesh read out the keynote paper and Sadat S Shibli, director of The Asia Foundation moderated the discussion.

Dr Wazedul Islam Khan, general secretary of Bangladesh Trade Union Center, Masuda Sultana, deputy director of the Department of Labour, Dr Nazmun Nahar, assistant inspector general of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments, ZM Kamrul Anam, secretary general of BLF, Abul Kalam Azad, president of Tannery Workers Union, Md Taherul Islam, programme manager of The Asia Foundation, among others, spoke on the occasion.