Dhaka: The US wants the speedy implementation of 11 points related to labor rights in Bangladesh, including easing the conditions for forming trade unions.
Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin told reporters after a meeting with a 20-member delegation led by Kelly M. Fay Rodriguez, the visiting US State Department Special Representative for International Labor Affairs, at the Secretariat in Dhaka on Sunday (November 24).
Commerce Secretary Mohammad Selim Uddin was present at the time.
The Commerce Advisor said, "The discussion was mainly about how quickly we can implement these 11 points of labor rights. If we can do these, we will definitely get GSP benefits."
According to sources at the meeting, the US delegation emphasized the right to form trade unions in the discussions. These rights still exist, but there are various conditions against it. The US wants the conditions to be relaxed. On the other hand, the Ministry of Commerce has assured the delegation of the implementation of these points.
During the Awami League government, in April, a team of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for South and Central Asia submitted an action plan to the Ministry of Commerce to improve the labor rights situation in Bangladesh. The action plan broadly emphasized 11 issues. The first of these is to take effective action against those who oppress and terrorize trade union leaders, workers, and labor rights activists. Next is to hold factory owners and management accountable for acting against labor leaders and workers. In addition, there is the need to amend Bangladesh’s labor laws and existing labor codes in line with the international standards enjoyed by trade unions. Other issues include taking necessary measures to ensure that workers in Bangladesh’s export processing zones (EPZs) can fully unionize; amending Section 34 of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) Act and implementing it in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and ensuring that workers there can organize and bargain collectively; Completing the application process for forming a trade union within 55 days; Publishing updated information on all pending applications on its existing online registration portal through the Department of Labor; Appointing labor inspectors and allocating funds for this through the annual budget; Approving more labor inspector posts and ending the practice of delaying or obstructing registration, etc. The Commerce Secretary said, “The Ministry of Labor and Employment is mainly working on these issues. These are being done for the living conditions of workers, improvement of standards and trade union activities. We are all working on the same line. We have urged on our part how to further increase trade in the US market. They have said that they will play a supportive role in this regard. They have asked us to focus on other issues including workers’ rights and minimum wages.”