Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President SM has urged the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to push for reasonable minimum prices for apparel and a uniform code of auditing conduct.
Since these difficulties either directly or indirectly affect the well-being of workers in Bangladeshi garment factories, they are of concern to both the ILO and the workers themselves.
He made the visit on Monday during SM Mannan (Kochi)’s courtesy call at the BGMEA Complex, where an ILO delegation led by Tuomo Poutiainen, the country director for Bangladesh, was present.
One of the pivotal topics addressed during the meeting was the need for implementing a unified code of conduct for social and technical audits that would be universally accepted. The well-being of workers is one of the issues scrutinised during social audits in a factory, and divergent auditing practices leave room for unfair treatment of Bangladeshi factories.
The BGMEA president urged the ILO to take the initiative to establish such a code, stressing its significance for the benefit of all stakeholders – including buyers, manufacturers and workers worldwide.
Additionally, he underlined the significance of fair minimum prices for garment exports, saying that in the absence of such pricing systems, the business would not be long-term viable and that workers’ welfare would ultimately be gravely jeopardised.
The ILO delegation comprised Mohamad Anis Agung Nugroho, programme manager of Better Work Bangladesh project; Linnea Strand, programme and operations officer; and Md Saidul Islam, senior programme officer.
The status of the continuing ILO-led efforts, particularly “Better Work Bangladesh,” which aims to improve working conditions and ensure occupational safety for ready-made garment (RMG) workers in Bangladesh, was discussed by them with representatives of the BGMEA.
The meeting also covered potential partnerships between the ILO and BGMEA to advance the industry, with an emphasis on capacity building to assist the nation’s garment industry in complying with new international laws like the EU’s “Due Diligence Directive” and to promote the general welfare of RMG workers.
The attendees from BGMEA were Vice Presidents Arshad Jamal (Dipu), Md. Nasir Uddin, Miran Ali and Abdullah Hil Rakib as well as Directors Md Imranur Rahman, Shovon Islam, Haroon Ar Rashid, Md Mohiuddin Rubel, Barrister Shehrin Salam Oishee, Saifuddin Siddiquie Sagar, Md Rezaul Alam (Miru). Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Labour and ILO Affairs ANM Saifuddin also attended the meeting.
