US, EU express concern over workers’ rights in Bangladesh

Despite progress in workplace safety in the country’s apparel sector, the USA and European Union (EU) have expressed concern over the workers’ rights to exercise freedom of association and collective bargaining.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter D Haas and EU Head of Delegation to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley expressed such concerns while addressing the 4th edition of Sustainable Apparel Forum (SAF), organised by Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) in Dhaka.

While addressing the event, Haas said, “The garment sector has been an essential part of Bangladesh’s incredible economic transformation over the past few decades. We applaud Bangladesh’s important work in the last decade to enact and reform new labour and safety laws, regulations, and practices.”

“The 10th anniversary of the tragic Rana Plaza Factory collapse that killed more than 1,100 people will be held in the next month. Despite progress in workplace safety during the last decade, we are still concerned about future industrial calamities,” he said.

“We are also concerned that too many workers in Bangladesh cannot exercise their right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Workers in the export processing zones do not have access to these rights at all,” the US ambassador said.

Sustainable economic growth in the garment sector and beyond must go hand-in-hand with strong implementation of labour rights, which include the right of workers to form and join independent trade unions and collectively bargain for better working conditions, he added.

EU Ambassador Charles Whiteley said, “Labour rights have to be ensured for obtaining the trade benefit under the new EU Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) as the EU is finalising the new GSP rules that will be in effect from January next for 10 years.”

He said the EU wants the implementation of the National Action Plan to improve the labour standard and use of 40 per cent energy produced from the renewable sources by 2041.

In response, Faiyaz Murshid Kazi, director general (Economic Affairs Wing), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “We are already working with our partners to resolve the issues. Human rights are main part of our DNA and we should not feel any way defensive or apologetic about our performance in ensuring human rights in the apparel sector. This is our clear message.”

“What we expect from our international friends is to have trust on us. It is a matter of sorrow that we often experience lack of trust while working with them and it really hurts,” he said, adding, “For example, after the term of the Accord ended, business sector came up with the idea of the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC). But there was so much mistrust about the full mechanism and our ability to implement it. To be honest, it was very hurtful.”

Observing that the Accord could not sustain in Bangladesh because of the country’s judiciary, he said, “We are ready to work on all kinds of legal and policy reforms. Please help us. Our industry leaders continually said that instead of increasing the number of trade unions, we need quality trade unions.”

In reply to the US ambassador’s comments, Murshid said, “In 2016, the US government decided to restore GSP facilities for Myanmar, and withdrew all kind of sanctions against Myanmar. And 2017, the country committed genocide against its own citizens. On the other hand, since 2013, the US government has withdrawn GSP facility to Bangladesh.”

“We do not even qualify for the facility provided to a country that has committed the textbook example of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

Such attitude does not really help continuing the conversation forward,” he observed.