Trade union representatives from the textile and apparel industries in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Tunisia have urged for required legislation requiring due diligence as well as cooperation from Europe to stop tragedies like the Rana Plaza incident in Bangladesh.
According to a statement, they made the decision after a meeting with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
Accompanied by representatives from the IndustriALL Global Union and IndustriALL Europe, the team included Bangladesh Sammilita Garment Sramik Federation president Nazma Akter, Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union president Athit Kong, Tunisian Textile, Clothing, Shoes and Leather Federation general secretary Habib Hazami and Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar president Khaing Zar Aung.
The union leaders visited the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva and a conference that was hosted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Berlin as part of a European advocacy tour that called for mandatory due diligence in the industry and the need for safe factories.
According to Mr. Kong, unions and employees in nations that produce clothing are appealing to the EU to enact strict mandatory due diligence laws with access to efficient remedies.
He stated that trade connections might be leveraged to enhance the status of workers in producing nations.
The three main demands made by the union leaders depend on European cooperation and implementation.
According to the statement, the requests included enacting required due diligence laws with access to legal recourse, requiring European businesses to pay living wages along their global supply chains, and encouraging more brands to sign up to the International Accord to enhance workplace safety for garment workers.
