The USA has known as for the implementation of an 11-point motion conception aimed at bettering labour rights in Bangladesh by March 2025.
Kelly M Fay Rodriguez, particular marketing and marketing consultant for World Labor Affairs at the US Division of Bid, conveyed the call right now time (25 November) all over a gathering with AHM Safiquzzaman, secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Bangladesh.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus told the delegation that his meantime govt is devoted to accomplishing sweeping labour reforms to be able to plan more international patrons to the country.
“We have to develop our labour regulations at par with global standards. It’s my commitment,” he stated when the US labour and trace delegation met him at his plight of labor at Tejgaon, in preserving with a press assertion.
He stated the meantime govt has appointed a various envoy simplest to reform the country’s labour regulations and tackle the concerns raised by local and worldwide labour rights groups, the World Labor Organisation and Western countries.
The delegation was once led by Thea Mei Lee, the deputy undersecretary of the US Division of Labour, and Kelly Fay Rodriguez.
The two senior officials stated the US, global labour rights groups, and top worldwide brands that buy dresses and sneakers from Bangladesh encourage Professor Yunus’s scoot to reform labour regulations and originate employee-pleasant stipulations in Bangladesh factories.
“All of these are good testaments” to what the Professor Yunus-led meantime govt has done for the labour sector in the previous three and a half months, Rodriguez stated, relating to the steps, collectively with the 18-point settlement signed between the government and the local unions.
The US officials known as for union rights in the factories and reviews of wages every year to cushion thousands and thousands of garment and sneakers staff from inflationary pressures.
Yunus entreated the brands to instruct the value hike of their orders every January in advise that the manufacturers in Bangladesh can raise employee wages accordingly.
Assembly with labour ministry
Representatives of a lot of American brands also attended the assembly. Afterwards, the labour secretary shared the predominant points with journalists in a press briefing at the labour ministry.
The 11-point conception, issued by the US in April, outlines key reforms aimed at bettering labour stipulations in Bangladesh, collectively with guaranteeing the fine to form change unions, bettering plight of labor safety, bettering working stipulations, and setting a minimal wage every year. It also requires uniform labour regulations to be utilized in every Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and launch air EPZs.
Labour ministry Secretary AHM Safiquzzaman stated, “The US delegation desires to peer how the 11 components they instantaneous are being implemented. They need transparency in the job because US taxpayers – these that buy dresses and various products made in Bangladesh – have to know how worthy worldwide labour standards are being followed here.”
He added, “The Ministry of Labour has already up to this point the US delegation on the actions taken up to now. Namely, we educated them about the 18-point conception created with enter from employers, staff and the government.
“These components encompass solutions from the US, ILO, Germany and Japan. The US delegation is gay with Bangladesh’s efforts and is ready to cooperate on future motion plans.”
The labour secretary stated, “We educated the US delegation that nearly all motion plans will be implemented within the next three months, with just a few exceptions. The components that can maybe maybe seemingly no longer be addressed accurate away are supported by Bangladesh in precept, but they’re going to rob time.
“One example is enforcing uniform labour regulations in every EPZs and launch air of them. It’s a ways because international merchants in the EPZs made agreements based mostly totally on EPZ regulations. On the opposite hand, a third-celebration interrogate will be conducted to assess the social affect of applying uniform regulations.”
He added, “The government is planning to originate a nationwide minimal wage coverage. Currently, wages are up to this point every five years. The recent coverage is being reviewed to peer if it’s doable to update wages yearly.”
Safiquzzaman also stated, “The US delegation instantaneous making change union registration simpler and sooner. They had been educated that the earlier rule required completing change union registration within 60 days, but this has now been diminished to 55 days.
“Furthermore, the delegation suggested that a change union might maybe maybe maybe seemingly also simply quiet be registered if 10% of the staff in a manufacturing facility impress in favour of it. We educated them that the legislation for the time being requires 20% of staff to impress, but this has now been diminished to fifteen%.”
At this point, a journalist asked the labour secretary about employer interference and harassment in the change union registration job. In response, the Secretary acknowledged the distress and outlined that to gain to the bottom of it, the change union registration job will be moved on-line.
“Machine will be bought that is why, permitting applicants to coach on-line and accept registration within the specified time, inserting off the need for physical submissions and stopping underhanded dealings,” he added.
He also mentioned that the US delegation discussed components such because the blacklisting of labour organisations, courtroom cases, investigations, and ongoing labour unrest.
The labour ministry educated them that the government is prioritising the resolution of labour unrest and treating various components with equal importance. Apart from they assured that no unnecessary courtroom cases might maybe maybe maybe seemingly be filed.
Safiquzzaman stated, “The government, enterprise house owners, and labour representatives all have to give a steal to those scenarios. Once these tasks are carried out, exporters in Bangladesh will be ready to anticipate fine prices from worldwide patrons.
“This might maybe maybe also simply encourage raise labour wages and give a steal to working stipulations, safety, and various advantages for staff.” He added that the government is targeted on gaining the belief of staff, entrepreneurs, and patrons alike.
He also illustrious, “The US raised concerns about human rights and elections. Human rights is a substantial distress, and we’ve got educated them that the government is working to give a steal to the overall human rights field.”
Safiquzzaman extra acknowledged that many factories in Bangladesh face considerations but wired that these factories can not be shut down because they use 25,000 to 30,000 staff.
He outlined that trace patrons might maybe maybe maybe seemingly also simply quiet rob over and bustle these factories, without any responsibility for earnings. The government has started paying Beximco staff’ wages by loans, but he cautioned that this can not proceed for long.
