The United States (US) is planning to create a 'Ticfa Working Group on GSP/Labour Affairs' to provide an ongoing, formal mechanism for Bangladesh and US to address labour concerns, reports UNB.
"As agreed by the government of Bangladesh in the meeting following the Ticfa signing in late November 2013, we plan to create a Ticfa Working Group on GSP/Labour Affairs…," said Lewis Karesh, Assistant United States Trade Representative for Labour, office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
The USTR official also said they envision Ticfa as the key coordinating mechanism for bilateral, government-to-government efforts on the GSP Action Plan.
He made the remark while making his statement at a hearing to examine the 'prospects for democratic reconciliation and workers' rights in Bangladesh held at the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in Washington on Tuesday.
In terms of US's broader economic engagement with Bangladesh, in late January, the United States-Bangladesh Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (Ticfa) entered into force.
The US wants to hold the first Ticfa Council meeting in Dhaka later this spring, said Karesh who oversees trade and labour issues for USTR.
He said they are committed to encouraging Bangladesh to make the reforms on worker rights and safety that are set out in the GSP Action Plan to provide a basis for reinstatement of Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) benefits.
"We'll continue to work closely with the government of Bangladesh, the EU, the ILO, the private sector, workers, NGOs, and others to ensure that the benefits of trade and development are widely shared in Bangladesh."
The USTR official mentioned that many of the issues Bangladesh faces will require sustained and focused support from a variety of actors.
However, if Bangladesh succeeds in addressing these issues and creates a more sustainable industry that affords basic worker rights and protects workers' safety, it will greatly enhance its economic development and can stand as a model for other countries facing similar challenges, he observed.
Another report adds: The United States Department of Labour is working actively to establish a full-time labour attaché for its embassy here to ensure 'greater engagement' on workers' rights and workplace safety in Bangladesh in the coming months and years.
