Unified code of conduct sought from RMG buyers

Leaders of garment industry owners yesterday demanded a 'unified code
of conduct' meant for international buyers to help ensure compliance
at their factories. "We need a unified code of conduct set for the
international buyers. Different buyers have different sets of
regulations, and they stress ensuring different standards, which
often cause trouble to us," said Abdus Salam Murshedy, president of
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association ( BGMEA).
"For maintaining these standards, we need to get certificates from
different international organisations spending a huge amount of
money. For example, if one has to get three or more certificates,
certainly it'll affect the process of ensuring compliance," he
explained. He was speaking at a roundtable on "social compliance to
address the necessity of improvements of the working conditions in
the garment industry of Bangladesh", jointly organised by
Brussels-based Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), and
London- based LIFT Standard, in Dhaka. "We are keen to ensure
compliance at all the garment factories and already 90 percent
members of BGMEA have ensured compliance, " said Murshedy. But at the
same time the buyers also can help ensure compliance, he added. Abdul
Momen, director of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters
Association, also echoed the views of the BGMEA boss. Momen said the
foreign buyers should provide adequate opportunities to the
Bangladeshi manufacturers and exporters to improve working
conditions at the factories. "We should offer satisfactory salary,
health facility and hygiene to all workers to ensure better working
conditions at the factories. We need support from the buyers to do
so," he said. "The buyers often offer lower prices for our products
compared to those from other countries, which compel many owners to
pay lower wages to their workers. And finally many owners fail to
ensure better working conditions at the factories," Momen added.
Commerce Minister Faruk Khan said the government is constantly
working to bring harmony between the garment owners and the workers.
"We (the government) are trying to meet compliance requirements in
line with the labour law of the country. We have ensured minimum
wages and appointment letters for all workers, and are trying to
ensure health facilities at the factories," he said. The minister
called upon the industry owners to ensure fire safety at their
factories.