Analysts yesterday called for ensuring decent working conditions and allowing trade unions for sustainable development of the $28 billion garment industry in Bangladesh.They made the call at a discussion at the daylong Dhaka Apparel Summit 2017 held at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel yesterday.They also suggested all stakeholders, mainly global clothing brands and manufacturers, work together to ensure compliance, better prices and technology upgradation and enhance productivity. “We know from our experience that it is easier to work with trade unions than against them,” said Thomas Klausen, CEO of Dansk Fashion & Textile, which represents over 350 influential players in the Danish fashion and textile industry.He was talking at a session on collaborative and responsible sourcing for sustainable growth.He said the issue of labour rights and workers freedom of joining or forming associations would be important for the garment industry. Danish Ambassador Mikael Hemniti Winther said the media, consumer groups, union leaders in Denmark expressed concern over the arrest of union leaders in Ashulia earlier. He, however, said he was pleased to learn about the tripartite agreement between the government, manufacturers and workers representatives. “Continuation of that is crucial. ”He said investment should be made for skills development in Bangladesh’s apparel industry. “Buyers need to be proactive and offer better prices,” said Fahmida Khatun, research director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue. Bangladesh’s garment industry received more attention after Rana Plaza disaster, she said. A number of measures have been taken to improve the working conditions and workplace safety in the sector, she added. “With higher compliance related expenditures, the cost of doing business goes up,” she said. “We are talking about ethical buying but it is not under the purview of many profit-making brands. Brands and retailers look for Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan region for lower price.”She stressed the need for efficiency improvement and shared responsibilities of all stakeholders. Nazma Akter, executive director of AWAJ Foundation, a labour rights body, said workers get only $0.7 for a t-shirt sold at $20 abroad.Multinational companies get $17 and the rest goes to the suppliers and others, she said. “Nothing is cheap. Someone has to pay and that is our workers.” She demanded decent working conditions and living wages for workers.Akter said Bangladesh is the second biggest apparel supplier in the world but workers get the lowest wage that is less than that of Myanmar.“We must work together and respect each other. We need to respect trade unionism and the management must respect trade unions.”Ambassador of the Netherlands Leoni Margaretha Cuelenaere said the workers should be able to make their complaints without risking their job. “They should be free to organise themselves and exercise their rights. This is a precondition for a healthy working environment,” she said, adding that the tripartite agreement was an important step. “Now it is up to the implementation and I know Bangladesh can do it.” State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam also spoke.
