EU concerned over delay in EPZ labour law amendment

A visiting European Union (EU) delegation yesterday expressed concerns over delays in amending a labour law meant for export processing zones (EPZs), which was also an eligibility criterion for its Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme.

There is one labour law in the country ensuring freedom of association to workers of factories outside of the EPZs while another EPZ labour law enables unionism for workers of factories inside EPZs under a "Workers Participation Committee".

However, the EU demanded that there be a uniform law for all workers. The EPZ labour law was supposed to be amended by December last year.

The EBA provides least developed countries duty-free, quota-free access for all products except arms and ammunition to the world's largest trade bloc. It was launched in 1971 with a view to bringing a balanced economic order worldwide.

The separate EPZ labour law was formulated following demands of foreign investors attracted to the EPZs as they were against freedom of association, said Mohammad Hatem, executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

He was one of those participating in a meeting with the EU delegation at the residence of the head of the EU delegation in Dhaka.

"We also want the amendment of the EPZ labour law for continuation of the EBA for the Bangladeshi exporters," said Hatem.

The EU delegation also wanted to know about the causes for delays in the recruitment of an adequate number of inspectors for the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (Dife), Hatem said.

The same was asked over making the Remediation Coordination Council for factories fully functional, he said.

Bangladeshi exporters at the meeting demanded fair prices for garment items and for following a unified code of conduct for audits of garment factories centring the purchase of goods.

Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, echoed Hatem.

"As per the EU roadmap given earlier, we have been taking measures gradually," said Hassan who was also present at the meeting.

For instance, there was a time when scanning exportable goods at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport took up a lot of time for the limited explosive detection systems kept in place, he said.

However, following suggestions made by the EU and other European countries, the government sets up four such detection machines to expedite the scanning process and improve airport and goods safety, he added.

Setting those up did take more time than what was suggested but those are functioning well now, said Hassan, adding that the labour and human rights would similarly be gradually improved.

The delegation held meetings with senior officials of the ministries of labour, commerce and foreign affairs to assess the progress of the reforms as per their action plan.

The team included Jordi Curell Gotor, director for international affairs, Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, and Benedikt Bunker, policy officer, Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission.

Ivo Schutte, deputy head of division, Asia and the Pacific–Regional Affairs and South Asia, European External Action Service, and Alessandro Tonoli, policy officer, Directorate General for Trade, European Commission, are also in the delegation.

Md Abdur Rahim Khan, joint secretary to the commerce ministry, led the Bangladesh side in the first day of meetings with the EU delegation on Monday.

He said the government has already sent a draft of the copy of Bangladesh ratifying ILO Convention 138 to the law ministry for vetting before it was passed in parliament.

Moreover, the government has been trying to recruit an adequate number of inspectors for Dife, he said.

Khan said the EPZ labour law was also scheduled to be amended as it was also at the law ministry for vetting on being granted approval from the cabinet committee.