Bangladeshi garment labourers’ rights discussed
Global economic specialist at the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations, Jeffrey Vogt, said at the first hearing on Generalised System of Preference facilities for Bangladeshi products in Washington that labour violations in Bangladesh have continued, despite some progress in recent years.
Mr Vogt pinpointed the ready-made garment, export processing zones and shrimp sectors as areas where labour rights violations need to be addressed. He called for more hard-hitting regulations to stamp out mistreatment of workers.
However, Bangladesh’s ambassador to the US, Mr M Humayun Kabir, said that the rights of its labour force are highly valued and that the workers’ wellbeing was vital for building a modern nation.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association the Bangladesh Garments Workers Union Council, among others also declared that staff protection was being upheld in the country.
