Jean Lambert

A European Union parliamentary delegation yesterday urged the government to implement the measures to ensure workplace safety within April 24, the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse.
The parliamentarians have also assessed the progresses the government has made so far to improve factory safety and workers' rights, notably with the reform of the labour law and the commitment to hire 200 new safety inspectors.
After the Rana Plaza building collapse in Savar, where at least 1,130 workers died and numerous received severe injuries, the government has taken some measures to improve the labour rights and workplace safety in the garment sector.
The government amended the labour law allowing full freedom of association as a requirement for regaining GSP in the US, which scrapped the trade privilege last year citing serious shortcomings in labour rights and workplace safety.
“European buyers and Bangladeshi owners should continue to fulfil their commitments under the EU-Bangladesh Global Sustainability Compact,” said Jean Lambert, chairperson of the delegation for relations with South Asia, in a statement.
Bangladesh on July 8 last year signed the Global Sustainability Compact with the EU involving the International Labour Organisation, committing improvement in workplace safety.
The government should implement the labour law, deploy factory inspectors, ensure a comprehensive publication of their reports, enforce the minimum wage, and provide compensation and rehabilitation to all the victims of the building collapse, the statement said.
The EU delegation came to Dhaka on March 24 on a two-day visit. This was the first high-level visit from the EU since the January 5 national election in Bangladesh.
“When the European consumers purchase clothes, they want to be sure that these have been produced by people who are safe at work and earn a decent living,” Lambert said in the statement.