Six members of the US Congress have sought Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina's assurance to facilitate proper investigation into the allegation of intimidation and violence on workers leader at Valuka, brought by the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF).
In a recent letter, sent to the US Senators, NGWF claimed that labour leaders are brutally assaulted by musclemen for their attempt to organise union.
The Congress members, including George Miller, Eliot Engel, Sander M Levin, Joshep Crowley, Grace Meng and Janice D Schakosky, in the joint letter dated May 30 made the call as the Dhaka Tribune obtained a copy of the letter.
“We would welcome your personal assurance that all appropriate government authorities will properly investigate and respond to the serious allegations,” reads the letter.
“We look forward to working with you to resolve issues that will ultimately allow the US to restore Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) benefits and to further Bangladesh's economic development.”
It adds: “Our shock when we saw several accounts in the press last week reporting that your Commerce Minister and the BGMEA President, rather than calling for the authorities to investigate intimidation, engaged in intimidation of labor activists themselves.”
They mentioned that as union registrations have increased, “we have also seen an increase in intimidation and harassment of labour activists and this is serious concern to the United States Government, including the US Congress.”
On May 23, BGMEA president Atiqul Islam demanded punishment of some leaders of the NGWF affiliated with IndustriAll Bangladesh Council as it allegedly was tarnishing the image of the country's apparel industry through providing baseless information to the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed after his US visit at a press conference brought the allegation IndustriAll had provided misleading information to USTR. Later, he also showed the letter sent to the USTR.
However, the congress members welcomed the increase in the registration of labor unions along with the other changes that have been made to improve working conditions in the garment export industry.
Acknowledging the work that has been done, they said there are a number of essential steps that must still be taken.