Global rights groups have said Bangladeshi RMG sector is still ‘out of track’, as several pending issues of the Sustainability Compact are yet to be addressed. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), UNI Global Union and Industriall Global Union in a joint statement issued on Wednesday called for further progress in different issues, including those related to trade union. “Bangladesh is not yet on a track to a sustainable garment sector. The government continues to engage in the same anti-union, anti-worker behaviour we saw before the Rana Plaza collapse,” they said. “The government has done nothing to investigate or sanction widespread acts of anti-union discrimination. Sometimes violent, these acts have led to the dissolution of nearly 50 unions. Factory closures, some of which appear retaliatory, have eliminated another 50 unions.” “However, we are disappointed that some points were worded in such a way as to conceal the seriousness of the problems,” they noted. The organisations quoted example of the Compact joint statement that urged the government to make sure that the union registration process as “smooth and expeditious” as possible, and said the problem is not just a few bumps. But rather the fact that the government has refused to register trade union applications from some of the most active and independent unions; the government rejected more (legitimate) applications than it accepted last year. Criticizing the rules of labour law, they said it contain numerous provisions, which violate the principles of freedom of association. Regarding safety audits by the government, they raised question on quality of these audits, not to mention the lack of consistent follow-up to ensure that violations are corrected. They also criticised some of Accord’s signatories for failure to comply fully with their obligations. Terming progress in the government-run initiatives ‘far less impressive’, the statement also said the industry will not be sustainable until the fundamental rights of workers are fully respected. “The partners to the Compact must insist, using their economic leverage to do so, that legislation is consistent with international law and that workers in practice are able to exercise those rights. This is a matter of urgency, and cannot wait for another year to pass,” it added. They also called for reform of the EPZ Act, remediation and monitoring of factories on fire and building safety, effective implementation of existing law, and further reform of said laws and rules.
