The United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) is a must to ensure workers rights in the country’s industries including the ready made garment sector, speakers said at a dialogue yesterday.
They also called for multinational companies and buyers to come up with initiatives for ensuring workers rights and integrating human rights in business as they profit from the workers production.
They made the call at a multi-stakeholders dialogue on “UN Guiding Principles: Due Diligence and Grievance Mechanism” jointly organised by ActionAid Bangladesh (AAB) and Global Rights Compliance (GRC) in the capital yesterday.
Entrepreneurs from leather sector, SME, RMG and trade union leaders, representatives from ILO and several development partners were present at the meeting.
The export of the country would increase if the manufacturers continue their production, complying with the workers’ rights as per the demand of the global retailers, said the discussants.
A failure to ensure workers’ rights will lead the manufacturers to face trouble, they added.
The UN principles focus on identifying human risks, preventing and mitigating adverse human rights impacts and verifying whether adverse human rights impacts are being addressed.
“Without product branding, it would be very tough to survive the global market competition, said Amanur Rahman, deputy director of AAB. That is why, the UNGPs give emphasis on ethical sourcing, inclusiveness, uniqueness, workers’ human rights and quality of products, he added.
“If the business organisations comply with the guidelines, they will not face any trouble regarding compliance issues within the country or outside the country and human rights violation could be prevented,” said Scott Martin of Global Rights Compliance (GRC).
The manufacturers would more be beneficiary if they become aware of the human rights violation from their own ends, he added.
“We want to see Bangladesh as a sustainable developed country and it is very necessary to ensure workers’ human rights for achieving the goal,” ActionAid Bangladesh (AAB) Country Director Farah Kabir said.
The government has to be more active in ensuring workplace safety, proper wages and other demands of the workers as it can play role more efficiently than that by the private sectors, said Farah.
“From the moral standpoint, multinational companies should stand beside the workers to ensure rights as we want to see that rights of everyne are ensured in the country,” she added.
Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) treasurer MD Mizanur Rahman urged the government and the international buyers to help the leather sector ensure workers’ human rights.
“We are helping buyers and manufacturers earn more by our cheap labour. On the other hand, we are facing obstacles while talking about our rights,” said Shamima Nasrin, a trade union leader.
