Brussels, 22/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 22 April, on the eve of the third anniversary of the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Dhaka on 24 April 2013, the European Commission reiterated its “long term” commitment to the multipartite initiative conducted by the EU, Canada, the USA and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) since the summer of 2013 in collaboration with Bangladesh. The objective of this initiative - the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact - is to improve working standards and conditions in the country, along with safety of the workplace and the textile industry. The Rana Plaza tragedy claimed over 1,100 lives.
“Tangible progress” has been made in Bangladesh and “a number” of labour rights are better protected today than two years ago, said European Commissioners Cecilia Malmström (Trade), Marianne Thyssen (Social Affairs) and Neven Mimica (Development) in a statement. They also said that building and workplace safety have improved, and that a dialogue has been set up with stakeholders, including trade unions, employers, buyers and NGOs in the EU and Bangladesh.
Nevertheless, “essential reforms are still needed” to ensure a better future for Bangladesh garment industry workers, especially as regards the effective respect of trade union rights and promotion of genuine social dialogue, the three European commissioners state.
The commissioners' statement reiterates the priorities set out in the conclusions of the Sustainability Compact follow-up meeting of 28 January (see EUROPE 11480), including: trade union registration; investigations into, and court cases on, unfair labour law practices in Bangladesh; the possibility for workers to elect their representatives freely at factory level, in compliance with ILO conventions; and granting workers in export processing zones rights that are comparable with those of workers outside these zones. “The government of Bangladesh has shown a clear commitment but more work remains, as well as regards labour inspections”, the commissioners' statement says.
On the safety level, the Commission reiterates the need to implement practical repair measures in factories. The EU and other donors have mobilised funding for companies facing financial difficulties with regard to improving factory safety, especially for SMEs, the commissioners' statement says.
“Close cooperation of all actors is the most effective way forward. Their commitment has been and will remain key in driving progress. All need to stay engaged in order to promote decent working conditions for Bangladeshi garment workers. Our joint work must continue in the long term”, the same statement says. The Commission is soon to publish its third report on implementing the Compact.
A high level conference being organised in Brussels by the Commission on 25 April will focus on the responsible management of the supply chain in the garment sector in Bangladesh and elsewhere. The conference will be attended by Mimica and Thyssen, as well as Dutch Trade and Development Minister Lilianne Ploumen and Bangladeshi Trade Minister Mujibul Haque Chunnu.
Greens want duty of diligence. Jean Lambert MEP (Greens/EFA, UK) criticised the EU harshly on Thursday 21 April, deeming it “scandalous” that the Commission has not succeeded in introducing “specific binding standards” for the textile sector to prevent another tragedy like the Rana Plaza. She said so far only promises had been heard about measures, and that the organisation of a conference to mark the anniversary of the tragedy would not in any way be a substitute for introducing a duty of diligence in the textile and garment industry. Despite improvements in some countries over the last three years, many workers are still being exploited, exposed to toxic products and not obtaining a salary big enough to survive, Lamberts said. She added that the Greens/EFA Group wants more transparency and responsibility from the European garments sector. The EU must adopt legislation, including an obligatory statement for EU companies, to make the supply chain fair for workers and to avoid a new Rana Plaza tragegy, Lamberts concluded. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)