Saying that social dialogue is a mechanism for resolving labour disputes, visiting ILO Director General Guy Ryder on Sunday called for making it effective based on core fundamental rights of workers. “Social dialogue is a problem solver, a mechanism which produces equity and fairness of work, produces very positive economic and transpose in terms of enterprise access and overall national development,” Mr Ryder said. He was speaking at the inaugural of a five-year project titled “Promoting Social Dialogue and Harmonious Industrial Relations in the Bangladesh Ready-Made Garment Industry” at a city hotel. The $8.43 million project is funded by Sweden and Denmark and implemented by the ILO in collaboration with Bangladesh government, employers, and trade unions. Mr Ryder said the project would focus on strengthening social dialogue and constructive dispute resolution and provide a defining opportunity for Bangladesh to achieve its social and economic transformation goals through partnership and inclusion. Issues such as wages increase and relocation of female workers and factories could be addressed through social dialogue, he said, adding strengthening it is also one of the priorities of the Bali Declaration that was adopted last week in the Indonesian city to promote decent work. He stressed effective social dialogue with respect of core fundamental rights of workers, including freedom of association and collective bargaining. Many issues, including allowing trade union in garment factories cannot be resolved due to the lack of trust between employers and workers, state minister for labour Mujibul Haque said “Social dialogue can help address such issues and build a harmonious industrial relation,” he said, adding employers were in the opinion that if trade union was allowed, the unit might be ruined. There are more than 7,500 trade unions across the country, and if scrutinised, registration of 90 per cent of them would be cancelled as they were not renewed for a long time. He laid stress on the awareness of labour rights and responsibilities, saying workers are not well aware of them. Swedish ambassador to Dhaka Johan Frisell said, “This programme shows how the Global Deal initiative can translate into concrete action at the country level. Functioning social dialogue means both ensuring labour rights and securing long-term business.” Rubana Huq managing director of Mohammadi Group, highlighted the importance of ensuring that emphasis is placed on the gender dimension of social dialogue, in view of the majority of workers in the RMG industry being female. “The creation of effective arbitration and conciliation systems will be a major step toward the development of a more mature industrial relations environment for Bangladesh that will benefit employers and workers alike,” Salahuddin Kasem Khan, President of Bangladesh Employers’ Federation said. Md Siddiqur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) requested all stakeholders to consider the local perspective before taking any measures, especially labour- related issues. Shah Md Abu Zafar, Chairman of National Coordination Committee for Workers Education, said, “There is an urgent need to create better dialogue between workers and employers in the RMG sector. Workers have for too long been at a disadvantage when it came to negotiations. However, this initiative will help put us on a more equal footing.” Kutubuddin Ahmed, Secretary General of IndustriAll Bangladesh Council, said, “The Worker Resource Centres established by this initiative will be a valuable addition to the industrial relations landscape and help trade unions operate more effectively. This project will also eventually strengthen social dialogue for the betterment of workers as well as sustainable industrialisation.”
