USTR seeks more clarifications from stakeholders

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Naim-Ul-Karim
The office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) in Washington, at a hearing on the complaints against violation of labour rights has asked all stakeholders to submit further clarifications and documents in support of their statement within October 19.
The hearing took place around 8.30 pm local time Thursday after a US-based non-government organisation (NGO) - the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL-CIO) -- filed a petition on June 22 to the USTR to discontinue GSP facilities to Bangladesh for alleged violation of labour rights in the country.
Under the GSP facility, Bangladesh has been enjoying duty-free export of its products to the US market since 1993 based on its commitment to adhere to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards.
"The hearing is the beginning of a yearlong review process that will examine oral and written submissions and testimonies by all parties as well as determine the actual progress on the ground with a view to coming to a conclusion on the petition by the AFL-CIO," a source in Washington D.C told the FE Friday.
He said M. Humayun Kabir, Bangladesh Ambassador to USA, told the hearing, "We are committed to present Bangladesh to the world community as a government and a society that fully respect the rights of workers, and we also rely on these same workers to fully support and respect the democratic institutions and rule of law that we are committed to maintain and reinforce."
He added, although much has been accomplished to improve labour protections, more can and must be done and in this pursuit, he said: "We seek assistance from the international community to help us build further capacity to do so," the source said.
At the Hearing, sources said, Brigadier General Ashraf Abdullah Yusuf, Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), highlighted the initiatives undertaken to protect and promote the labour rights in the Export Processing Zones.
Syed Mahmudul Huq, chairman of Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation, and Shabbir Ahmed Chowdhury, adviser of BGMEA in Washington DC, also appeared at the testimony before the Trade Policy Staff at the office of the USTR to defend the labour rights in the fisheries and in the RMG sectors respectively.
Sources said the Bangladesh delegation engaged a US-based lobby firm to defend the position of the country strongly at the hearing.
The AFL-CIO in its petition alleged: "Bangladesh … is not taking steps to accord internationally recognised worker rights, including 1) the right of association, 2) the right to organise and bargain collectively, 3) freedom from compulsory labour, 4) minimum age for the employment of children, and 5) acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work and occupational safety and health."
The petition also said: "since the State of Emergency, all trade union activities have been forbidden and the Ministry of Labour has refused to register new trade unions."
Jeffrey Vogt, Global Economic Specialist of AFL-CIO, in defense of their petition at the hearing, highlighted the violations of labour rights in the EPZs, in readymade garment and shrimp industries in Bangladesh, sources said.
In response to specific queries about their objective in submitting the petition, they said, Vogt suggested that they want Bangladesh government to accord more priorities to ensure that labour rights, as recognised by the international community, are respected in Bangladesh.
Though Vogt recognised that some progress had been made in recent years in Bangladesh but those were still unsatisfactory, and more aggressive reforms are needed to protect the labour rights in Bangladesh, sources said.
They said Marideth Joy Sandler, Executive Director of GSP programme at the USTR chaired the hearing panel that was formed with five panelists comprising one official from each of the US department of Agriculture, Labour, Commerce, State and Trade.
Talking to the FE, Fazlul Hoque, president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturer and Exporters Association (BKMEA), lamented that such an extreme move was very unfortunate.
"We can not maintain the same standard being followed in USA. We have to set a standard that is relative to our own position in addressing the compliance issue," he said.
The government and all other stakeholders including trade unions will need to work together to face such challenges, Anwar Ul Alam Chowdhury Parvez, president of BGMEA, told the FE.
When asked, knowledgeable sources said the cancellation of GSP facility will hamper the image of the country and adversely affect the business in the US and the European Union (EU) market.
The US market is the single largest export destination of Bangladesh that accounts for 36 per cent of its total exports.