The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced a three-year Worker Empowerment Program in Bangladesh to support labour rights, union organising and women’s empowerment in the ready-made garment sector. The announcement coincides with the second anniversary of the April 24, 2013 Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in Dhaka that killed over 1,100 workers and injured over 2,500, said a statement of USAID released on Friday in its website. “USAID Worker Empowerment Program demonstrates the United States’ vigilance in promoting fundamental labor rights, including workplace safety and health, so tragedies such as Rana Plaza can be prevented in the future,” said Jonathan Stivers, USAID assistant administrator for Asia. “We have partnered with the government of Bangladesh, international donors, and the garment industry to empower workers by giving them a real voice in this vital sector and to reform labor laws consistent with international standards.” The new Worker Empowerment Programme aims at strengthening the capacity of independent workers’ organisations by empowering the workers in these organisations, and particularly women workers, with the skills and support necessary to protect their rights, promote their interests and improve conditions in their workplace and community. This program complements the existing Global Labour Programme that trains workers on labour laws, provides legal support to workers and assists workers in organising and registering new unions. Since inception, this program has registered nearly 300 new labor unions in the ready-made garment industry, covering more than 65,000 workers. The European Union and the United States, in close cooperation with the ILO, will remain closely engaged with the government of Bangladesh in the spirit of partnership to continue work together to ensure that economic growth and sustainable development go hand-in hand with workers’ safety and rights, read the statement. Rana Plaza, an eight-storey building located at Savar that housed five RMG factories collapsed on April 24, 2013, killing over 1,135 workers and injuring over 2,500 people. Following the factory disaster, the workers rights issues came under the spotlight and the global community including Bangladesh government and the sector people have taken steps to ensure workers’ rights in the workplace.
