Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) settled a total of 9,670 complaints through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism during the period between 1998 and 2016. A total of 38,208 workers had been able to get Tk 150.64 million as compensation through the ADR. This was disclosed on Thursday at a seminar on “Building Construction Labour Management Relations: Promotion Alternative Dispute Resolution in RMG sector.” Solidity Center (American Center for International Labour Solidarity) and Congress of Industrial Organizations jointly organised the seminar. Speakers at the seminar, however, suggested necessary steps to settle various labour related disputes through the ADR to lessen the rising number of cases pending with the labour courts. The seminar was told that the country’s seven labour courts have to handle 1.5 million cases annually. Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar attended the programme as the chief guest. Director (Acting), Office of Democracy and Governance, USAID Bangladesh Kevin Gash, Country Programme Director of Solidarity Center Bangladesh Alonzo Glenn Suson, joint director of Department of Labour SM Anamul Haque, additional secretary of BGMEA Rafiqul Islam, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Service Trust (BLAST) representative Advocate Atul, program officer of International Labour Office (ILO) Uttam Kumar Das, senior counsel of Bangladesh International Arbitration Center (BIAC) Afrin Ahmed, and director of Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF) AKM Zafarullah were also present at the seminar. Speaking on the occasion, Mikail Shipar called on the country’s different organizations dealing with labour disputes to work together to resolve labour disputes effectively in shortest possible time. To solve labour-owner problems and ensure a sustainable industrial growth in RMG sector, the government already amended labour law, he added. Speaking on the occasion, Anamul Haque explained that labour department resolve any labour disputes through adjudication, arbitration, conciliation and negotiation. Garment owners, workers or union leaders don’t know how and where they will have to go for resolving disputes, he said. In his speech Mr Suson said, “In shrimp and fish processing industry, the establishment and good faith use ADR mechanism has benefited all parties in the resolution disputes and promoted better labour-management relation.” He also said, “RMG sector could benefit greatly from ADR lessons learned and best practice in the shrimp industry.”
