Experts, workers demand fair wages, occupational safety for building competitive RMG sector

Civil society and workers’ representatives have called for fair wages, safe and decent working conditions, and the protection of labour rights to ensure the sustainable development and global competitiveness of Bangladesh’s garment industry.

They made the remarks at a roundtable dialogue organised by Nari Unnayan Shakti (NUS), with support from the Textile Garments Workers Federation (TGWF), Young Women for Development Rights and Climate (YWDRC), and Forum for Culture and Human Development (FCHD), at the NUS Training Room, Banasree, Dhaka.

The session was chaired by Dr Afroja Pravin, executive director of NUS. The keynote address was delivered by Abul Hossain, president of TGWF and a freedom fighter.

Other speakers included Nusrat Sultana Afroj, executive chairperson of YWDRC; Zarin Tasnim, YWDRC representative; Selina Khatun, publicity secretary of the Domestic Worker Employers Association; Dr Sultan Muhammad Razzak, executive director of FCHD; Abdul Momin, project coordinator of NUS; and Hasnat Jahan, workers’ representative, among others.

At the event, workers presented the following ten-point charter of demands to the government:

1. Establish fair wages reflecting the cost of living, with regular wage reviews

2. Ensure safe, healthy, and decent working conditions and enforce building, fire, and electrical safety standards

3. Protect freedom of association, trade union rights, and collective bargaining

4. Prevent discrimination, harassment, violence, and sexual abuse against women workers and ensure effective remedies

5. Ensure six months of maternity leave, maternity benefits, childcare facilities, and a supportive workplace for women workers

6. Ensure appointment letters, identity cards, timely wages, fair overtime payments, and legally entitled leave

7. Provide prompt compensation, medical assistance, and social protection in cases of workplace accidents, illness, or death

8. Strengthen inspections and accountability and take legal action against factories violating labour laws

9. Expand skills development, vocational training, rehabilitation, and opportunities to adapt to technological changes

10. Establish regular tripartite dialogue among the government, employers’, and workers’ organisations, and ensure that international buyers share responsibility for the sustainable development of Bangladesh’s garment industry

Participants called on the government and all relevant stakeholders to take effective measures to address these demands and build a fair, safe, and sustainable garment industry.