EC wants BD to do more on workers safety issue

The European Commission (EC) for Trade on Tuesday said Bangladesh must do more to ensure the safety and health at work in addition to continued improvement in freedom of association and collective bargaining in the country. “The government of Bangladesh must address reports of denials to register trade unions, anti-trade union discrimination, intimidation and harassment,” said the technical progress report – Staying Engaged-A Sustainability Compact for continuous improvements in labour rights and factory safety in the RMG industry in Bangladesh. The report in its executive summary mentioned that inspections of buildings also must continue and should be swiftly followed by remediation measures to ensure the safety and health of workers at work. The extension of the application of the national labour law to the export processing zones (EPZ) must begin and implementing regulations need to be adopted swiftly, it said, according to a news agency.