Labour rights, safety standard below required level

The Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments has found labour rights and safety standard below the required level, official sources said.   
Besides, some important compliance issues have not been addressed satisfactorily. The issues are: formation of trade union, insurance facility for the garment workers, daycare centre, maternal welfare, participation committee, safety record book and safety committee etc.
These were the conclusions reached after the inspection of 81 garment factories which was done by the 23 special inspection teams of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments on compliance issues of the garments sector.
After reviewing and expressing satisfaction on the progress it was observed that some important compliance issues were "below standard," the sources said.   
The special teams of the state entity had inspected 81 garment factories. Of these, some 51 are the members of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and 9 are the members of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) respectively. Some 21 are not the listed with any association in the country, sources said.
BGMEA and BKMEA sources said, "Activities for improvement of the compliances issues that have been identified by the special team are going on. Some garments have started to work in this connection."
"We have kept up efforts to help effective implementation of the decisions to ensure compliance in the factories," a taskforce source said.    
The 13th meeting of the taskforce on labour welfare and occupational safety in readymade garment (RMG) sector was held late February at the ministry of the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE).
Taskforce chairman and MoLE joint secretary Faizur Rahman presided over the meeting.
In the taskforce meeting BGMEA, BKMEA have been instructed to improve the compliance issues of garments sector that was detected by the team, according to meeting sources.
The meeting stressed the need for continuation of activities of all concerned including BGMEA, BKMEA, and Fire Service for the sake of fire and building safety.
Official said the taskforce body meets once a month. So far 13 meetings of the taskforce were held where various important decisions regarding improvement of working conditions and occupational safety were taken.
Workplace safety of the garments factory has become major concern at home and abroad, after the deadly Rana Plaza building collapse and Tazreen Fashions factory fire incident. The government has been taking various steps to comply with the Bangladesh Action Plan, source said.
After tragic Rana Plaza building collapse in June 27 last year, the US suspended Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for Bangladesh for its reported failure to improve work place conditions for labourers.