TUC letter to Foreign Secretary on Bangladesh labour law

The TUC General Secretary has written to William Hague, Foreign Secretary, calling on the UK government to apply pressure on the Bangladesh government to reform its labour law.  It is one year since the Rana Plaza factory collapse on 24 April 2013 which killed almost 1200 workers. Freedom of association and widespread repression trade union members continues due to problems in the labour law. Without trade union freedom, workers will not be able to speak up about safety concerns to prevent future industrial disasters

Dear Foreign Secretary

Bangladesh labour law

I write to you on the anniversary of one of the worst industrial tragedies – the Rana Plaza textile factory collapse, which killed almost 1,200 people, mostly young women.  This disaster was caused by workers not having a voice.  Workers in the building were too afraid to speak up about safety concerns even though cracks were visible on the building.  Despite amendments made last year, the TUC is concerned that the labour law in Bangladesh still does not allow for freedom of association and workers continue to face repression when raising issues with employers.

The Accord on Fire and Building Safety stipulates that there must be involvement of trade unions, where present, in factories to monitor safety improvements. However, without reforms to the labour law, workers will not be able to adequately be involved in this process.

The TUC is concerned that trade union rights continue to be denied to workers in Export Processing Zones or in the informal sector. Trade union members also face routine harassment, unfair dismissal and violence from employers.  Particularly concerning is the case of Aminul Islam, the trade union organiser murdered in April 2012. His killers still have not been brought to justice. The government of Bangladesh must reopen the investigation and ensure that all of the perpetrators are identified, and charged. 

Further concerns with the labour law are laid out in the ITUC document, attached.

The TUC urges you to put pressure on the Bangladesh government to reform its Labour law to allow full freedom of association and protect workers from repression and violence at work to guard against future industrial disasters.

I look forward to hearing from you about what Ministers are doing to on this matter and raise these issue at the upcoming International Labour Conference in June.

Yours sincerely

FRANCES O'GRADY

General Secretary

Encl: ITUC Fact Sheet on Bangladesh

cc:
Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister of Bangladesh
E-mail:   info@pmo.gov.bd