European lawmakers are pushing for rules to curb worker exploitation. To respect workers’ rights the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have adopted a resolution calling for a formulation of new rules to be obliged by textile and clothing suppliers’ countries. The MEPs voted in a non-binding resolution as they result in social dumping” because these practices also harm the European Union (EU) industry. The resolution was adopted by 505 votes against 49, with 57 abstentions in the European Parliament. Textile workers around the world, many of whom are children and young women, suffer long working hours, uncertainty, violence, low wages and hazardous working conditions in factories. Rapporteur Lola Sánchez Caldentey said that “We cannot turn a blind eye if our clothes are made at the cost of vast human suffering. Only binding rules could guarantee that products sold on European markets do not violate the dignity and the rights of millions of workers. The EU has the means to act, and we ask the Commission to do so”. According to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), more than 70 percent of EU textiles and clothing imports come from Asia, with China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia being the largest producers. The consequences of which usually fall on factory workers as most buyers are global brands looking for low prices and tight production timeframes. After the Rana Plaza tragedy in 2013 four years ago, in which over 1,100 people died when a factory building collapsed in a Dhaka suburb, the EU Commission promised to bring forward an EU-wide flagship initiative but has so far failed to do so. The European Parliament wants to encourage the Commission to table this package of proposals for consideration. The MEPs have suggested a series of measures to push the “flagship initiative” aimed at preventing tragedies like the Rana Plaza factory collapse: (i) Due diligence obligations: the EU Commission should table a binding legislative proposal for a due diligence system, based on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developmen (OECD) guidelines and similar to those for the so-called blood minerals, that covers the whole supply chain, (ii) Conditional trade preferences: the EU should ensure that textile exporting countries with preferential access to the EU market comply with obligations and produce sustainable textiles, while member states should promote workers’ rights in their relations with partner countries, (iii) Clothing labels: making the “social impact of production” visible on clothes can help to bring about lasting change, and (iv) Role models: the EU institutions should set a good example in their public procurement of textiles. Meanwhile, Netherlands finds Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector now “safer” than four years back when the Rana Plaza building collapse shook the world. The Dutch Ambassador in Dhaka Leoni Margaretha Cuelenaere said recently that “I think it’s safe to say that the RMG (Ready Made Garments) sector in Bangladesh is safer, more compliant and indeed more competitive than it was four years ago. In a unique concerted effort, governments, and the garment industry, NGOs and trade unions have managed to prevent the sector from turning its back on Bangladesh”. The ambassador was speaking at an event commemorating the four years of the country’s worst-ever industrial disaster in which over 1,100 workers died. She, however, said there is no room for “complacency” as “the work on remediation of factories is still far from complete, and a lot of work needs to be done in areas like social dialogue, living wages, workers’ rights and environmental sustainability”. She said, as the Netherlands government was engaged in the post-Rana Plaza clothing industry reform plans that “Of course, I understand such changes won’t happen overnight, and that progress is often slower than we would like it to be. That doesn’t mean that the Dutch government will not continue to push for changes”. The ambassador said Netherlands would also continue to push the Dutch and other multinational companies that source from Bangladesh for the changes further. “They should also take their responsibilities and make sure that their pricing and sourcing policies are fair and realistic” she said. She was inaugurating ‘Fashion Revolution week’ in Dhaka hosted by a Netherlands’ project named as Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) which is a non-profit, international development organization. Bangladesh is one of over 90 countries involve in the ‘Fashion Revolution’ movement that calls on people to take part in the campaign for a “fairer, safer, cleaner fashion industry while celebrating those who are on a journey to make it happen”. The exhibition showcases photographs by the internationally acclaimed photographer Alison Wright, reflecting the lives of workers from the apparel industry of Bangladesh. The SNV Working with Women project is working in factories to create the women-friendly environment, particularly addressing the issues of sexual and reproductive health. The ambassador said this is also an area of “concern” for Netherlands. She said that for factory management, it makes “good business” sense to address those issues for female workers. The exhibition continued until Apr 30, 2017 from 3 pm to 8 pm everyday at Bengal Art Lounge in Gulshan, Dhaka.The writer is a retired Professor of Economics, BCS General Education Cadre.
