Address labour issues in Bangladesh RMG sector: DCCI

14 Jun '12

2 min read

Considering that Bangladesh readymade garment (RMG) industry has a potential to turn into a US$ 50 billion industry over thenext seven to eight years, the concerns raised by US Ambassador over labour issues should be taken seriously, Mr. Asif Ibrahim, President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), has said.

Addressing a meeting of apparel exporters last week, US Envoy to Bangladesh, Mr. Dan Mozena, raised serious concerns over the incidents of labour unrest in the Bangladesh’s highest export-earning RMG industry. He said that such incidences pose a challenge to the economic development of the country.

He further said the recent developments in the US could lead to a situation that could pose a threat to Bangladesh’s RMG exports to the US, and could also drive away key US consumers of Bangladeshi apparels.

Mr. Mozena said the US is very much concerned about the labour issues in Bangladesh. Suggesting a way out, he said that in the absence of trade unions, Workers Participatory Committee (WPC) could work to safeguard workers’ rights.

The DCCI President said the proposed rise in tax at source at 1.2 percent on all categories of export items, along with the new wage policy devised by the Government, would cause great problems and cause the RMG exporters in the country to suffer a burden of six percent.

Speaking about the recent labour unrest incidences in several RMG regions, he said that this is not acceptable, and all industry stakeholders should try to ward off such incidences.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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