Alliance condemns arrest of labour leaders

The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a building inspection agency of 28 North American retailers and brands, condemned the arrest and detention of labour leaders after the recent unrest at Ashulia-based garment factories.

“We are deeply troubled by reports of the detention and interrogation of nearly a dozen labour rights leaders by the Bangladesh government,” the Alliance said in a statement.

“The Alliance strongly supports the rights of workers to organise in accordance with the laws of Bangladesh. Our Member Agreement formally asserts the right of workers to refuse to work in dangerous conditions, and we support and encourage the right of workers to unionise in Alliance-affiliated factories.”

“We consult closely with our Board Labour Committee—comprised of five trade union leaders—on all matters related directly to workers,” the Alliance said.  “And by July 2018, we will have established worker safety committees—groups of workers trained and empowered to monitor on-site occupational safety and health issues—in all 600-plus Alliance factories.”

To the Alliance, empowering workers is nothing short of fundamental to ensuring factory safety, according to the statement.

The Alliance has trained 1.2 million workers in fire safety and evacuation skills, and trained 22,000 security guards to play a leadership role in protecting worker's lives—not property—in case of emergency.

The platform operates Amader Kotha—the nation's first and only worker helpline—which allows more than one million workers to report issues of concern within their factories anonymously and without fear of retribution.

The Alliance is proud to have provided wage compensation to the more than 6,600 workers displaced by factory repairs.

While progress has been made, dedicated efforts to support worker's rights in Bangladesh must continue, and any unwarranted detention or interrogation of labour advocates should not be undertaken or tolerated.

“We call for workers and management to settle any differences at the negotiating table, peacefully and in accordance with Bangladesh law,” the Alliance said.