NPAGWI demands industry caucus to deal apparel trade issues

27 Dec '05

1 min read

National Protection Alliance for Garments Workers and Industries President Kamrul Hasan said that at the recently concluded World Trade Organisation's Hong Kong ministerial meeting, Bangladesh suffered a setback as it was unable to get quota free market for garments to the US.

NPAGWI leaders have impressed upon the Government in a meeting to form a committee selected from representatives of society, trade union leaders and factory owners who are influential to ink a favourable deal with international apparel manufacturers.

A proposal was also mooted to fix Tk 2500 as minimum monthly wage of a garment worker in the meeting.

The US kept Bangladesh in the category of a competitive exporting country and so have rejected duty and quota-free access for its garment. This has put the future of 20 lakh garment workers in the dark, said the President of NPAGWI.

Bangladesh has 97 percent duty-free access. The US will have absolute domination over the natural resources of least developed countries, he said.

Multi-fibre Arrangement quota system has been removed, yet the US is imposing about 12 percent duty on Bangladeshi garments. This has become a major obstacle because the country is not advanced enough in backward linkage of the industry.

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