Dutch minister for joint efforts to improve safety issue, labour rights in BD's RMG sector

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FE Report Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, Ms Lilianne Ploumen has asserted for joint efforts to improve safety standards and labour rights in disaster-hit Bangladesh garment sector. "It (recent disasters) signals the political urgency to act and to take our responsibility each in improving the labour conditions and safety in the garment factories of Bangladesh," Ms Ploumen told a joint news conference with her Bangladesh counterpart Commerce Minister Ghulam Muhammed Quader on Sunday. The Dutch minister said she did not want that buyers of her country stop sourcing their merchandise from Bangladesh rather they support the garment industry of the country to improve safety measure with decent wages for the workers. "Improving safety standard in factories and protection of labour rights are our national responsibilities. We are dedicated to address these issues with the cooperation of all stakeholders," Commerce Minister Ghulam Muhammed Quader told the joint news conference. The joint news conference followed a meeting of the two ministers with Bangladesh development partners and donor at a city hotel in the capital immediately after her arrival in Dhaka on a two-day visit to help Bangladesh address challenges being faced in its industrial sector. Lauding the efforts of the government and local groups in addressing the issue that has been focused after the recent deadly building collapse, the Netherlands foreign trade minister said the ongoing joint efforts should find the gaps avoiding overlapping. "We need to maximise our impact, in order to really improve the conditions for the workers, their families and for a sustainable future of the garment industry in Bangladesh," Ms Ploumen said. The Netherlands will contribute 9.0 million euro (US$11.97 million) for the improvement of the working conditions in the garment industry, she announced. She hoped the efforts of Bangladesh government along with the stakeholders to improve the situation with an amendment to labour laws would help Bangladesh retain trade facilities in the European Union and the USA. "We are determined to improve the safety standard and wages for workers not to retain GSP (generalised system of preference), but as part of our moral obligation," Ghulam Muhammed Quader said. He said Bangladesh enjoyed GSP for negligible amount of its exports in the US. In her statement, Ms Ploumen said her government and the retailers of ready-made garments buyers were constantly questioned over the status of Bangladeshi workers, their safety standards and wages, by the consumers in the Netherlands and also in other European countries. Mrs Ploument said most of the EU countries have agreed to assist Bangladesh in addressing the issues which have been focused following the Rana Plaza building collapse that killed many (1,129) workers in April last and a fire at Tazreen Fashion (that killed some 130 others) in November. Mrs Ploumen informed that the Dutch textile sector will present its plan for Corporate Social responsibilities to Bangladesh garment factories so that Bangladeshi workers get adequate living wages. "I know that Bangladesh will feature in this CSR action plan of the Dutch textile sector. I hope that this will be an example for other European countries as well," Ms Ploumen said. She said that she firmly believes that trade could help alleviate poverty, when the trading companies on both sides of the supply chain act according to the norms of corporate social responsibilities. This means companies in both the countries of origin and export destinations should take up social responsibilities for the workers who produce things for the consumers. At a time of globalisation consumers in the European countries including the Netherlands realise that the apparel they use are made by workers in developing countries which still need to give safety to the workers and adequate wages to them, she said. She said the international buyers, the fashion brands, that place their orders for low prices in the Bangladeshi factories, have a responsibility. Under pressure of the global community they signed the Safety Accord with the global trade union IndustriALL. Among others, Ambassador Gerben Sjoerd de Jong, Bangladesh Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed, ILO Bangladesh Director Srinivas Reddy, accompanied the ministers at the news conference Together with the private sector, bodies such as Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Dutch thinktanks as well as ILO, the Netherlands wants to support the industry to grow in a responsible manner, Ms Ploumen said. According to Minister Ploumen, it is time to improve the working conditions and "all involved parties -- the textile sector, manufacturers, consumers and governments -- must now take responsibility to break the vicious circle". Replying to a question on negative projection of certain media about the situation in industrial sector in Bangladesh, especially after the recent building collapse she said the Dutch media were balanced in reporting the situation and needs in bangladesh. "We recognize the important role of the export-oriented RMG sector in economic development, employment generation, women empowerment and most importantly, poverty reduction in Bangladesh," a joint statement of the two ministers said.