All conditions now met for GSP restoration: Minister

Claiming all the preconditions now fulfilled with the appointment of 189 factory inspectors, a junior minister Thursday asked US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena what will be the response from the US government now in reviving the suspended GSP facility on the American market for Bangladeshi garment export.       
"There were many problems with regard to recovery of the GSP status of Bangladesh in the US. We had fulfilled all the conditions except for appointing inspectors," State Minister for Labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu said at a function in the city.
Drawing attention of Mr Mozena, he said the government has completed the appointment of 189 inspectors up till now.
"There is no condition left. We don't know what will you say now?" He asked.
The state minister was addressing as chief guest the closing ceremony of a daylong training workshop on 'Workplace Cooperation in RMG Sector (Bringing Employers and Workers Together).
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) organised the workshop at the Brac Centre Inn, as part of awareness campaign aimed at building up a congenial atmosphere in the export industry.
Dan Mozena-whose government has taken the action in suspending the GSP facility following some factory accidents-was present at the event as the guest of honour.
Mr Chunnu said, "Many people now advise us on many issues, like absence of trade union from the factories.
"But how many of their factories have trade unions? They will never talk about the trade unions and situations of their factories."
Referring to his discussion with European authorities, Mr Chunnu said he had told the European representatives that Bangladeshi industries are quite new and that the government has pressured the garment owners to improve their facilities and working conditions, which involve huge money.
"None of the European buyers ever raised the price of our garment items to compensate for the extra investment. It's easy to advise. But little support can help expedite the advice better," he told the meet.
Mr Chunnu called upon the US ambassador to allow Bangladeshi authorities to visit the factories in the USA to see how the trade unions work there, what are laws and way of bargaining, etc, to gain knowledge and implement them in Bangladesh.
The state minister advised the trade-union leaders to be aware about their roles and responsibilities and legal aspects of bargaining process. Like the labourers he asked the factory owners, too, to be aware about their responsibilities.
Earlier in his address Dan Mozena said Bangladesh has to choose one path from two options: to be number one through fair run of factories or go down under the weight of hazards.       
Bangladesh either can be the greatest provider of apparels in the world, with industries humming with huge domestic and foreign investment, efficient and productive factories with eight or 12 million workers working in safe and clean conditions. In the other way, he said, Bangladesh apparel industry can shrink as a result of horrific industrial accidents killing hundreds of employees, as a result of poisonous and confrontational relations between the workers and the factory owners and managers destroying worker productivity, dragging Bangladesh into 12th or 14th apparel maker.
The US envoy noted that experience in America and around the world shows industrial success is greatly linked to the quality of the partnership between the workers and managers.
He said Bangladesh is indeed at a critical crossroads confronted by two starkly different visions of the future of the apparel industry.
Promoting dialogue and building trust between workers and employers to ensure sustainable growth of the readymade garment (RMG) sector were stressed by high-level speakers at the event on workplace cooperation.
State minister Mujibul Haque Chunnu said, "To ensure sustainability and growth of the RMG sector it is vital that there is a congenial working environment at factory level. This is only achievable through workplace cooperation between employers and employees."
The day-long event was organized by the Promoting Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in Bangladesh (FPRW) project of the International Labour Organization (ILO) which is funded by the US Department of Labor.
It brought together representatives of employers and labour organisations from the RMG sector to train them in techniques.
"Ensuring workplace cooperation is the responsibility of both workers and employers and is especially important in view of the dramatic increase in new trade unions over the last 18 months," said Srinivas B. Reddy, the ILO Country Director.
The number of trade unions in the RMG sector has increased to 367 with 236 new unions formed since early 2013.
"The growth of unions is a positive development that will help secure better labour rights for garment workers. Yet with rights come responsibilities. It is extremely important that union representatives learn how to effectively negotiate and interact with employers," Mr Reddy added.
A total of 30 participants from five apparel factories with an equal number of mid-level managers and worker representatives took part in the training.
This was the first event in an ongoing series of activities aimed at bringing together workers and their employers to create better industrial relations and build a constructive dialogue at shop-floor level. The ILO will continue to support factories and trade union officials in this regard.
The RMG sector employs an estimated 4.2 million workers, and during the latest fiscal year, generated some US$ 24.5 billion from exports.
The Promoting Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in Bangladesh (FPRW) Project is an initiative of the International Labour Organization (ILO) that aims to address specific challenges faced by workers' and employers' organizations by building local capacity in relation to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
The project also provides support to the Government of Bangladesh with legislative and policy initiatives aimed at achieving full-fledged compliance with international labour standards.
Mansoor Ahmed, First Vice-President BKMEA, Kamran T. Rahman, Adviser BEF, Atiqul Islam, President of BGMEA, and Amirul Haque Amin, Member- Secretary NCCWE, were also present at the closing ceremony of the workshop.

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