BGMEA, SEDF sign Tk 9.2m deal to address compliance

           A memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth Tk 9.2 million (92 lakh) was signed between Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and SouthAsia Enterprise Development Facility (SEDF) Saturday in the city to address major compliance issues, reports BDNEWS.

 

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Press Roundup

European and American buyers are urging the government to "find a speedy solution to unrest" among workers in the RMG sector, according to this report by Forbes.

11 major foreign buyers have written a joint letter to the government, expressing their concern over the situation. They are calling on the government to resolve the dispute in the "shortest possible time through dialogue between the industry's stakeholders".

The Daily Star reports of further urgings from the European Commission in Dhaka, in the shape of Messrs Frowein (ambassador) and Whiteley (first secy). They met with the commerce minister Hafizuddin Ahmed:

The EC ambassador suggested that the minister arrange a national dialogue among factory owners, buyers, workers' association, and government to overcome the situation*… They also demanded 100 per cent compliance of garment products from Bangladesh.

"The buyers as well as consumers of European Union countries are very sensitive about the compliance issue and it would be dangerous for Bangladeshi apparel exporters if they fail to ensure international standard environment in the garment factories."

A just and equitable stitch right now will save us dozens of stitches in future.

* sounds like what Drishtipat is doing in London! Be there!

RMG worker’s rights: Law and reality

Good post covering the laws in the laws section of Daily Star.

Read here

BGMEA’s sincerity called into question

separate study is showing that BGMEA has hardly implemented any of the accord they signed with the workers.http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/05/31/d6053101085.htm

According to the BILS study, successive presidents of the BGMEA signed at least four agreements with different labour federations but none of those has been implemented fully so far.

Earlier, the garment owners did not also implement the 24-point suggestion offered by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment in November 2000. The Department pointed out 24 kinds of irregularities in garment industry that went against labour laws and suggested that the irregularities should be addressed to maintain a congenial working condition.

Inspection by the department also found that non-implementation of labour laws resulted in discontent and anger among the workers.

On July 8 in 2001, the government circulated a notification about minimum wages for workers of private sector industries. The notification said minimum wages should be at least Tk 1,200 a month if the number of workers in a factory is up to 10. And minimum wages should be Tk 1,250 and Tk 1,350 if the number of workers in a factory is up to 50 and over 50.

But the government notification was not implemented as New Age Garment Ltd filed a writ against it in August 2001.

Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, assistant executive director of BILS said, “The big problem is that most of the garment owners do not agree to obey labour laws.” The deals already signed are merely an eyewash to bypass the demands of workers, he added.

If BGMEA leaders would have taken effective steps to make its members implement the deals, there would be no workers unrest in Bangladesh’s garment industry, he stressed.

Blood in the Supply Chain

SPIEGEL ONLINE – December 13, 2005, 05:40 PM

URL: http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,390198,00 Cheap Labor in Bangladesh \n Blood in the Supply Chain

By Nils Klawitter

In April 2005, 79 \n workers were killed when a Bangladeshi garment factory collapsed. The \n accident occurred on the other side of the world, and would have been \n instantly fogotten — had European companies not been using the illegally \n enlarged plant as a cut-price sweatshop. What price profit?

It was shortly after \n midnight on April 11, \n 2005, when the floor silently \n disappeared from beneath Milon Houlader\’s feet. Houlader found himself in a \n free fall that sent him plunging six stories. When he regained \n consciousness, he was surrounded by tangled sweaters, mangled sewing machines and rubble.

Full Article Here