In a joint letter addressed to Dr Mohammad Yunus, chief advisor of Bangladesh's interim Bangladesh government, the AAFA and FLA expressed support for labour law reforms while urging further improvements in worker rights to ensure the long-term success of the country's garment, footwear, and travel goods industries.
The letter said: "As you shepherd Bangladesh through this transition and into a new era, we look forward to working closely with you to ensure that both the protection of workers’ rights and growth of the industry are paramount. We fully recognise the important place that Bangladesh holds as the third largest supplier of garments as well as a fast-growing supplier of footwear and travel goods.
"The favourable trade partnerships and spirit of collaboration that underpin these markets has brought shared prosperity and economic growth. And we know that these partnerships can go much further – if we continue to build on our mutual respect for, and support of, worker rights."
The letter urges the interim government to take three key steps towards furthering workers rights:
- Immediately release those who remain under arrest and drop all criminal charges, and threats of criminal charges, stemming from the Fall 2023 protests over the minimum wage;
- Move swiftly this year to implement a transparent and regular annual minimum wage review mechanism for the garment, footwear, and travel goods industries, with all stakeholders – employers, the government, and workers (independent unions, worker groups/representatives) – at the table; and
- Restart tripartite discussions on the Bangladesh Labour Act to align it with international labour standards.
AAFA and FLA concluded their letter by offering support during this transitional period, emphasising the importance of enhancing workers' rights to foster the growth of Bangladesh's garment, footwear, and travel goods industries.
Recently, local news reports from Bangladesh revealed that the current interim government will review workers' wages through the minimum wage board to bring normalcy back to the clothing and other industries.
