MFA Forum for lifting curbs on TU activities
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
FE Report
The Multi Fibre Arrangement (MFA) Forum called upon the government of Bangladesh to lift the restrictions on trade union (TU) activities invoked by the emergency power ordinance and to establish and implement a framework for mature industrial relations based on tripartite agreements, ILO conventions and national labour laws.
In a letter to Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, the forum also called upon the government to urgently convene the Minimum Wage Board and to introduce an annual review of the legal minimum wage levels.
The MFA Forum, an open network of buyers, suppliers, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), trade unions, international institutions and multi-stakeholder initiatives, is building collaboration for sustainability in the textile and garments industry worldwide by promoting responsible competitiveness.
"International buyers require freedom of association as part of their ethical compliance codes. These requirements are directly related to the core conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that were ratified by Bangladesh in 1972," the forum said in its letter.
The signatories to the letter included Oxfam, TESCO, groupecarrefour, Levi Strauss and Co, tvmania, H & M, Marks & Spencer, BLGUF, International Textile Garment and Leather Workers Federation and SBGSKF.
The Multi Fibre Arrangement (MFA) Forum called upon the government of Bangladesh to lift the restrictions on trade union (TU) activities invoked by the emergency power ordinance and to establish and implement a framework for mature industrial relations based on tripartite agreements, ILO conventions and national labour laws.
In a letter to Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, the forum also called upon the government to urgently convene the Minimum Wage Board and to introduce an annual review of the legal minimum wage levels.
The MFA Forum, an open network of buyers, suppliers, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), trade unions, international institutions and multi-stakeholder initiatives, is building collaboration for sustainability in the textile and garments industry worldwide by promoting responsible competitiveness.
"International buyers require freedom of association as part of their ethical compliance codes. These requirements are directly related to the core conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that were ratified by Bangladesh in 1972," the forum said in its letter.
The signatories to the letter included Oxfam, TESCO, groupecarrefour, Levi Strauss and Co, tvmania, H & M, Marks & Spencer, BLGUF, International Textile Garment and Leather Workers Federation and SBGSKF.