MoC completes discussions with stakeholders
Monday, 9 January 2012
Badrul Ahsan
Ministry of Commerce (MoC) Sunday completed a series of discussions with the stakeholders relating to preparing pre-brief papers which the country will have to submit to the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Subcommittee by tomorrow (January 10), officials said Sunday.
The last meeting was held between MoC and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
Bangladesh will face a hearing at the office of the United States Trade Representatives (USTR) on January 24 next on the labour rights and child labour issue following a petition from American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) in June 2007.
AFL-CIO has filed a petition at the USTR office citing that labourers in the apparel and frozen food sectors are not allowed to establish trade union.
Subsequently, two public hearings were made - one in 2007 and another in 2009.
The first hearing was held in October 2007 followed by the second one in
April 2009. After the hearings the GSP, under which the United States (US) offers Bangladesh duty-free facilities in its market, was put on review.
The US officials that time informed the Bangladeshi officials that during the review period developments on the labour rights issue have to be visible and need to be continued. If they find any substantial development in the labour rights issue, Bangladesh will be put out of review.
During the two hearings Bangladesh informed the USTR through pre- and post-briefs that steps were taken to ensure labour rights in the country. After that Bangladesh is continuously enjoying the GSP facilities on some products while exporting those to the US market.
MoC officials, apparel sector and other sector leaders have, however, denied the presence of child labour in the sector.
Sources said the Bureau of International Labour Affairs of US Department of Labour has recently appointed an international survey institution named ICF Marco, to carry out a survey on the Bangladesh's apparel industry to determine the presence of child and forced labourers working here.
The ICF Marco has engaged the RTM International, a Bangladeshi organisation, to carry out the task.
Some four million workers are employed in Bangladesh's around 5,000 apparel factories; nearly 80 per cent of them are women. The apparel industry is the country's major foreign currency earner.
"There is no child or forced labour in the apparel sector," said Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin), president of BGMEA.
"The government survey as well as the monitoring of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) couldn't find the presence of any child labour in the apparel sector," he claimed.
"Bangladesh doesn't allow employment of any child or forced labourer in the apparel industry. The workers here are adult," Mohiuddin added.
Sources said the MoC last week received a letter from the embassy of Bangladesh in Washington which said that the third hearing at the office of the USTR will be held on January 24 next. The MoC has also been informed that a pre-brief will have to be sent to the USTR by January 10.
The letter also mentioned that if the decision of the hearing at the USTR goes against Bangladesh, the US may cancel the facilities given to Bangladeshi goods under the GSP scheme.
"With a view to preparing a pre-brief for the USTR through discussion about the latest developments that Bangladesh carried out so far to ensure labour rights and their social positions, the MoC has arranged a series of discussions with the stakeholders," an MoC official said.
Ministry of Commerce (MoC) Sunday completed a series of discussions with the stakeholders relating to preparing pre-brief papers which the country will have to submit to the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Subcommittee by tomorrow (January 10), officials said Sunday.
The last meeting was held between MoC and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
Bangladesh will face a hearing at the office of the United States Trade Representatives (USTR) on January 24 next on the labour rights and child labour issue following a petition from American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) in June 2007.
AFL-CIO has filed a petition at the USTR office citing that labourers in the apparel and frozen food sectors are not allowed to establish trade union.
Subsequently, two public hearings were made - one in 2007 and another in 2009.
The first hearing was held in October 2007 followed by the second one in
April 2009. After the hearings the GSP, under which the United States (US) offers Bangladesh duty-free facilities in its market, was put on review.
The US officials that time informed the Bangladeshi officials that during the review period developments on the labour rights issue have to be visible and need to be continued. If they find any substantial development in the labour rights issue, Bangladesh will be put out of review.
During the two hearings Bangladesh informed the USTR through pre- and post-briefs that steps were taken to ensure labour rights in the country. After that Bangladesh is continuously enjoying the GSP facilities on some products while exporting those to the US market.
MoC officials, apparel sector and other sector leaders have, however, denied the presence of child labour in the sector.
Sources said the Bureau of International Labour Affairs of US Department of Labour has recently appointed an international survey institution named ICF Marco, to carry out a survey on the Bangladesh's apparel industry to determine the presence of child and forced labourers working here.
The ICF Marco has engaged the RTM International, a Bangladeshi organisation, to carry out the task.
Some four million workers are employed in Bangladesh's around 5,000 apparel factories; nearly 80 per cent of them are women. The apparel industry is the country's major foreign currency earner.
"There is no child or forced labour in the apparel sector," said Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin), president of BGMEA.
"The government survey as well as the monitoring of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) couldn't find the presence of any child labour in the apparel sector," he claimed.
"Bangladesh doesn't allow employment of any child or forced labourer in the apparel industry. The workers here are adult," Mohiuddin added.
Sources said the MoC last week received a letter from the embassy of Bangladesh in Washington which said that the third hearing at the office of the USTR will be held on January 24 next. The MoC has also been informed that a pre-brief will have to be sent to the USTR by January 10.
The letter also mentioned that if the decision of the hearing at the USTR goes against Bangladesh, the US may cancel the facilities given to Bangladeshi goods under the GSP scheme.
"With a view to preparing a pre-brief for the USTR through discussion about the latest developments that Bangladesh carried out so far to ensure labour rights and their social positions, the MoC has arranged a series of discussions with the stakeholders," an MoC official said.