Ensuring fair prices of apparel products on the world market and workers’ rights to organise trade unions and checking unauthorised subcontracting still remain key challenges for an efficient readymade garment industry in Bangladesh, said a visiting Dutch minister. Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, made it clear that while it is the responsibility of the government and the industry to ensure good working conditions, the buyers and consumers also do have the obligation to pay fair price of the apparels. She made the observations at a joint press conference held Sunday at a city hotel. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed also spoke at the press meet organised following a seminar on ‘supply chains through multi-stakeholder partnership’. Apart from the two ministers, representatives from government, apparel makers, trade unions, brands, buyers, ILO, and Accord and Alliance were also present. President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Md Atiqul Islam, Vice- President of FBCCI Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin and Vice- President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) Aslam Sunny were also among others present at the press conference. Addressing the fair-price issue, the Dutch minister said “…it is not only the responsibility of the government of Bangladesh, owners of factories to improve working conditions but also the responsibility of brands, buyers and also the consumers to come up with the true fair price.” Underscoring its importance, she called for collective effort to discuss the issue with the multi-stakeholder groups how the fair price is assessed while ensuring competitiveness of all. Ms Ploumen also raised the issue of unauthorised subcontracting as a matter of priority and the need for safety assessment in the non-export-oriented factories. “Joint effort is needed to make sure that unauthorised subcontracting will not be offered again and the small and medium units will be able to part of the attempt,” she noted. Mr Tofail Ahmed alleged that Accord and Alliance-the two groups of western retailers-are creating some unnecessary obstacles in the name of social audit. “Accord and Alliance are here to inspect factories. There is law of the land to look into the other issues,” the commerce minister said, warning both the groups not to interfere into any internal factory issues. He said that the rules regarding enforcement of the labour law are in the final stage and will be implemented from July next. Both the ministers also addressed the issue of fair pricing and access to reasonably-costed finances. They underscored that fair pricing should be reflected, among others, the cost of fire, structural and electrical safety and reasonable working hours in order to avoid workers having to pay the ultimate price through poor working conditions. In that context, the Dutch minister affirmed her support to convening a conference to address the issues related to access to finance and fair pricing in the RMG sector in the near future. Regarding trade unions, she urged the Bangladesh government and the industry to enable workers to be actively engaged in trade unions. Both the ministers, however, emphasised the need for continued interactions and engagement between governmental stakeholders, employers’ association and trade unions in Bangladesh as well as the brands, retailers and the international community within the global supply chain to work towards the realization of a safer, responsible, sustainable and more efficient RMG sector.
