EIAS – Labour Rights & CSR in Bangladesh: Two years after Rana Plaza, where do we stand?

Programme

Labour Rights & CSR in Bangladesh: Two years after Rana Plaza, where do we stand?

Two years have passed since the ‘Rana Plaza’ factory collapsed on 24 April 2013, killing around 1,000 people and injuring more than 2,000. The eight-storey structure held five ready-made garment factories which supplied around thirty European and American clothing brands. The incident generated international outcry about workers’ safety and labour rights in general. National and international authorities, the private and the public sectors and civil society organisations jointly started working on the improvement of working conditions in Bangladesh’s garment industry. Amendments were made to the Bangladesh Labour Act, strengthening freedom of association, collective bargaining and occupational safety and health. In July 2013, a meeting in Geneva resulted in an EU-ILO-Government of Bangladesh Sustainability Compact to improve health and safety, labour rights and responsible business conduct in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry. Amendments were made to the Bangladesh Labour Act, strengthening freedom of association, collective bargaining and occupational safety and health. New trade unions were registered. One year after the launch of the Compact, a report by the European Commission stated that substantial progress had been made, but still much needed to be done to ensure safety and health at work, and to improve the right of association and collective bargaining. Bringing together experts from the Bangladesh embassy, the European Parliament, the International Labour Organisation, industry and academia, this seminar offers a unique opportunity, two years after the Rana Plaza tragedy, to assess the achievements made and to identify the steps and strategies to be taken in the near future.