EU lauds progress in Bangladesh

The European Union in a statement yesterday lauded Bangladesh's progress in improving workplace safety and establishing labour rights following the Rana Plaza tragedy last year.
“In particular, they are making good progress on inspections of factories according to common standards and an operating manual for assessing building, fire and electrical safety,” Karel De Gucht, EU trade commissioner, said in a speech at the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) ministerial meeting in Paris on Thursday.
The EU, however, believes more needs to be done to meet international safety standards. “Of course, the reality is that there is still much more to do,” Gucht said.
“Improvements in labour rights must be extended to the Export Processing Zones … Bangladesh's labour law still needs to address restrictions on trade union formation and membership, no later than in the next iteration of the labour law reform,” he continued.
Following the Rana Plaza collapse that killed as many as 1,135 people, mostly garment workers, Bangladesh signed "Sustainability Compact" with the EU involving the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva on July 8 last year for the improvement of safety standards and labour rights.
Under the agreement the EU observes the progress for one year before taking any trade measure against Bangladesh.
“… I am also proud to report that much of that programme has been put into practice,” Gucht said.
Of the major progress, Bangladesh has amended its labour law improving labour rights, Gucht said, adding that the country has also upgraded its system for factory safety inspection and begun the recruitment process of hundreds of new inspectors.
“Inspections of the factories have started and their results are being made public. Many new unions have registered and workers are starting to organise,” he said.
“For our part, the European Union has extended its 16-million-euro programme to promote Better Work and Standards in Bangladesh, as well as its 15 million-euro Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme that also helps with rehabilitation of some of the victims of Rana Plaza,” the EU statement said.
Besides, the private sector both in Bangladesh and in buyer countries is working with trade unions to implement their own commitment through the Accord for Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, Gucht added.
He urged the government to accelerate the recruitment of inspectors and publish the inspection results.
“All the enabling conditions must be in place, not only in law but in practice, for workers to organise into trade unions and make their voice heard at the factory level. Inspections must be followed by structural improvements to improve safety. Bangladeshi industry has a key role to play here,” Gucht said.
“I welcome the statement by governments calling for further contributions to the Rana Plaza Arrangement by international retailers and Bangladeshi manufacturers as well as by the Government of Bangladesh,” he said.
The EU will assess the development over the coming weeks and hold a meeting of all parties to the Compact, the tenure of which expires on July 8, as well as other stakeholders to get their perspective and set the agenda going forward.
Gucht said the EU has an obligation to act because it grants duty-free and quota-free tariff preferences to Bangladesh which have been a boon to the country's export performance.
The European Union was and still is the largest client of Bangladesh's garment business. “We imported over 9 billion euros worth in 2013,” he said.
A high-powered EU delegation is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in July to discuss the improvements made under the agreement, according to a senior commerce ministry official.