Ryder: Rana Plaza legacy must be improved working conditions globally

The ILO Director-General highlights the human cost of poor working conditions and calls for action to ensure the Rana Plaza tragedy is not repeated.

Copenhagen (ILO News) - “Rana Plaza is a call for global action on decent working conditions” International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Guy Ryder said at a high-level meeting in Copenhagen on garment and textiles production in Bangladesh.

The Rana Plaza building collapse, in the country’s capital Dhaka in April 2013, claimed the lives of over 1,100 factory workers and injured many more.

“We cannot wait for future disasters before we act to make the worlds’ factories and workplaces safe and decent places to work,” said Ryder at the event, Post Rana Plaza: a Vision for the Future, organized by the Government of Denmark in Copenhagen.

Ryder highlighted action taken with the Government of Bangladesh and employers’ and workers’ organizations, including building and fire safety assessments; labour inspections; and occupational safety and health, rehabilitation and skills training for survivors.

These and other responses were agreed in the Bangladesh National Tripartite Plan of Action (NTPA), in support of which the ILO is implementing a US$24.2 million, three-and-a-half year programme in the country.

International response

Ryder also drew attention to the complementary work of international initiatives including the Accord between more than 150 international brands and retailers with suppliers in Bangladesh, and global unions IndustriALL and UNI Global. The ILO is the neutral chair of the Accord, which covers 1,639 of the 3,498 Bangladesh factories making garments for export.

International coordination was essential, Ryder said, when supply chains in 21st century industry spread across the globe.

“We need to take stock to ensure global supply chains perform safely and in line with internationally respected rights, so that goods, wherever produced, are made in conditions of decent work,” he said.

Work by the Rana Plaza Coordination Committee, set up by the Government of Bangladesh, employers’ and workers’ organizations, garment brands and NGOs to ensure compensation for Rana Plaza survivors and victim’s families is encouraging, Ryder said. However work needs to continue to increase momentum and ensure sufficient funds are raised through the Donors Trust Fund.

Improvements in everyone’s interests

The garment sector in Bangladesh plays a vital role in the country, making a major contribution to current GDP growth of 6 per cent and to significant poverty reduction in recent years.

“The sector needs to be safer and more sustainable, while at the same time maintaining its role in supporting Bangladesh’s legitimate development aspirations,” Ryder said.

“Better working conditions are in everyone’s interests, a safer industry does not mean a less profitable one,” he added.

Earlier in the day Ryder met with the Danish Prime Minister, Helling Thorning-Schmidt who reaffirmed Denmark’s commitment to the ILO and announced additional funding for efforts to improve working conditions in developing countries, including Bangladesh.

“We greatly appreciate the continued cooperation with the Danish government and this additional funding, which will help in concerted efforts to improve working conditions,” Ryder said.

Ryder also met with the Ministers of Employment and of Trade and Development and Danish employer and worker representatives during his visit.

Source: ILO. 03 April 2014

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Gadani – A paradise lost to pollution

The Gadani beach — one of the few coastal areas of Pakistan with sparking blue water and a unique range of marine habitat — is in danger of losing its luster.

Toxic wastes from the ship-breaking industry, coupled with illegal nets and the government’s plan to set up a coal-based energy corridor in the area, threatens this breezy coastal edge of the Arabian Sea.

Once a top picnic spot for the people of Karachi, the Gadani coast has long been used as a “trash can” for dumping effluent generated by the ship-breaking industry - a very lucrative business.

“Over the years, the ship-breaking industry, which brings in enormous revenue both for the government and the businesses, has failed to develop an eco-friendly mechanism to handle its wastes. This is unfortunate,” said Muhammad Moazzam Khan, one of the country’s top marine life experts.

However, he maintained that the coast of Gadani is still better off than that in Karachi, where toxic wastes from industrial units are blatantly dumped.

Khan, who is the World Wildlife Fund’s technical adviser on marine fisheries, pointed out that the energy corridor in Gadani expected to become operational in 2017 would release hot water and destroy the marine habitat.

“The corridor is a looming threat to the marine life in this area,” Khan told reporters during a field trip to Kaio Island, a 30-minute boat ride from the Gadani coast.

Kaio Island, located near Gadani in the Lasbela district of Balochistan, is known for the diversity of marine life off its coast.

“This is among the very few areas along the coast of Pakistan which has a coral sand-associated habitat inhabited by colourful invertebrates and a large number of fish species,” Khan said. “Marine life around the island is being seriously affected by the increasing pollution on account of the accumulation of debris.”

The WWF had recently organised a cleaning activity at Kaio Island. “We found nets and litter that had drifted from nearby,” said Khan.

Another major threat to marine life is what experts call derelict fishing gear.

Asif Sandeelo, a WWF spokesperson, said derelict fishing gear referred to nets, lines, crab or shrimp pots, fish traps, and other recreational or commercial fishing equipment that had been lost, abandoned or discarded in the marine environment.

“These nets are a serious threat to marine life, because they keep on trapping and killing fish. This is also called ghost fishing,” he added.

“Fishermen use the illegal technique of spreading small nets in the water to catch the fish. When these nets are lost or abandoned, they keep on accumulating fish,” he further explained.

Efforts are being made around the world to remove debris from important marine habitats to restore their natural conditions.

Source: The News. 24 March 2014

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-239971-Gadani-%E2%80%93-A-paradise-lost-to-pollution

ILO Deputy Director-General on first Rana Plaza payments: 'Good news for the NWB workers affected and we must also focus on all the victims'

GENEVA - ILO Deputy Director-General for Field Operations and Partnerships Gilbert Houngbo has said Primark's announcement that it will start making payments to the victims of the Rana Plaza accident - injured workers employed by Primark suppliers New Wave Bottoms or the families of workers who died -means that these families will be getting financial assistance soon.

 

"This is of course welcome news for the NWB workers and their families. We also need to focus on the other victims of the Rana Plaza tragedy,” said Houngbo.

 

Primark's payments will be made under the auspices of the Coordinated scheme based on ILO Convention 121 on employment injury benefits. In addition to these payments, Primark will make a contribution to the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund established under the scheme, and it is encouraging other buyers to also contribute to the Fund.

 

"We too urge other retailers to make a donation to the Fund because we need to focus on the remaining estimated 3,000 workers or family members who rightly expect to be compensated. It is crucial that all the workers affected by the Rana Plaza tragedy, and their families, are properly looked after", added the ILO deputy chief.

 

For more information, please contact the ILO Department of Communication and Public Information at +41 22 799 7912 or newsroom@ilo.org

 

Source: ilo.org. 17 March 2014

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A quiet revolution: Women in Bangladesh

Women in Bangladesh have made major strides over the past decades, putting the South Asian country at the forefront among the least-developed countries in addressing gender disparity.

Since the World Conference on Women in Mexico in 1975 – which was a milestone in the battle for equality – Bangladesh has been at the forefront among the least-developed countries (LDCs) in addressing gender disparities.

Bangladesh has the eighth lowest gender gap in political empowerment in the world. This is partially due to the fact that it has had a female head of state for longer than any other country in the world. In addition, the proportion of seats held by women in the national parliament doubled from 10 per cent in 1990 to 20 per cent in 2011.

Women’s growing presence in the political sphere has had important implications on the family structure. Society is moving away from the traditional view that women are an economic liability and that sons are more desirable than daughters. Studies show that the growing independence of women is one of the major causes of a decline in the “missing women” phenomenon – gender based infanticide – in Bangladesh.

In the economic sphere, women have played a vital role as well, as evidenced by the importance of the ready-made garment (RMG) sector. While the share of men and women employed in manufacturing is roughly the same, the vast majority of RMG sector workers are women – 80-85 per cent. And, Bangladesh’s economic success in the last two decades is in large part due to the RMG exports to Europe and North America.

Despite the fact that women do not generally have ownership over land and tools necessary for agriculture, their labour has been a vital part of the success Bangladesh has had in agricultural productivity – the country stands out compared with other countries in Asia in terms of enhancing agricultural productivity.

In addition, Bangladesh has experienced significant improvements in women’s health over the past three decades. Women’s life expectancy, for example, increased from 54.3 years in 1980 to 69.3 years in 2010, one of the largest increases in the region.

A textbook example…

In the social sphere, Bangladesh is a textbook example of what is possible when women are involved in decision-making. Indeed, it is a heartening story of social innovation and development, in no small part due to the help of microfinance, which has played an integral role in rural and social development in Bangladesh – 92 per cent of the borrowers are women and 90 per cent live in rural areas.

While there is some debate over the efficacy of microfinance in poverty reduction, studies have shown that in Bangladesh, female participation in microfinance activities has led to an increased sense of empowerment, measured by factors such as decision-making, social acceptance and political involvement, which in turn have led to general welfare improvements.

Take for example the fact that Bangladeshi mothers increasingly have a say on their children’s education. The country has managed to reduce the gender gap at all levels of education, particularly at lower levels of education, i.e. youth literacy and secondary school enrolments. In these two areas, disparities have been reduced at a faster rate in Bangladesh than the global average.

…but challenges remain

Yet, Bangladeshi women continue to face numerous challenges. The recent industrial disasters in the RMG sector, where a large majority of workers are women, highlight the serious concerns about occupational safety and health.

The Bangladeshi government, employers and workers organizations are making important strides in the right direction, with the support of the ILO and many development partners, but still a lot needs to be done.

Women also have been getting the short end of the stick in the labour market. The employment rate of women in 2010, at 58 per cent, was close to 30 percentage points lower than the rate for men.

Women are also disproportionately affected by unemployment, underemployment and vulnerable employment.

Moving forward, it is important to put in place gender-responsive labour market policies that would pave the way for more equitable employment outcomes and decent work for all.

Source: ILO. 29 January 2013

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