More needs to be done to improve worker rights, safety: US

Staff Reporter: The Obama administration said Wednesday that while Bangladesh has made some progress on improving workers rights and safety conditions, it must do more to restore the suspended duty-free trade benefits from the US. “Bangladesh needs to take more concrete steps to improve safety of its workers before US President Barack Obama could consider revoking its suspension from the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP),” Michael Froman, a senior Obama administration official has said yesterday. The comment of the Michael Froman, US Trade Representative (USTR), came after a six-month interagency review on GSP action plan. The Office of the USTR conducted the review. As the basis for its determination, USTR said, the administration reviewed progress by Bangladesh in implementing the specific measures listed in the action plan. The review found that there has been progress in some areas including an increase in labor union registrations in the garment sector and a suspension of operations in approximately 20 factories found to be in imminent danger of structural failure or other catastrophic accident. However, the review also found that Bangladesh has not yet implemented substantial parts of the action plan, it said adding that the government is behind schedule in carrying out many hundreds of critical safety inspections in garment factories, as well as meeting its commitments to hire additional inspectors. The review concluded that the government of Bangladesh needs to develop a credible and effective mechanism for responding to and addressing allegations of unfair labour practices. “We are seeing some improvements that move us closer to our shared goal of protecting workers from another workplace tragedy such as the April 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse, including a significant increase in the registration of unions,” said Michael Froman. However, the administration remains concerned about the lack of inspections across a large number of factories, the slow progress on labor law reforms and the continued reports of harassment of and violence against labor activists. In June 2013, President Obama suspended Bangladesh’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade benefits, which allows certain products to come into the United States duty-free. In 2012, the total value of US imports from Bangladesh under the system was $34.7 million. At the time of the suspension, the administration provided Bangladesh with an action plan to make improvements. Since the suspension of GSP in 2013, Bangladesh has also not advanced the labour law reforms called for in the Action Plan, including changes to ensure that workers are afforded the same rights and protections in Export Processing Zones as in the rest of the country, USTR said. In addition to engaging regularly with Bangladesh, the US is also closely coordinating with the European Union, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other international partners under the July 2013 Sustainability Compact on worker rights and factory safety in Bangladesh, it said. “Ahead of the Compact’s one year anniversary, the US Government notes Bangladesh’s progress towards fulfilment of some of the commitments in the agreement and welcomes continued positive collaboration between all signatories in support of Bangladesh’s adoption of international standards in worker rights and safety,” USTR said.