Chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday said that the interim government was committed to bringing about sweeping labour reforms in an effort to attract more foreign buyers to the country.
His remarks came at his office at Tejgaon when a large United States labour and brand delegation called on him to discuss labour issues.
鈥榃e want to make our labour laws at par with global standards. It is my commitment, 鈥� professor Yunus told the delegation.
He said that the interim government had appointed a special envoy only to reform the country鈥檚 labour laws and address the concerns raised by local and international labour rights groups along with the International Labour Organisation and different Western nations.
The delegation was led by Thea Mei Lee, the deputy undersecretary of the US Department of Labour, and Kelly Fay Rodriguez, special representative for international labour affairs of the US.
The two senior officials said that the US, global labour rights groups, and top international brands that bought clothing and footwear from Bangladesh backed professor Yunus鈥檚 move to reform labour laws and create worker-friendly conditions in Bangladesh factories.
鈥楢ll of these are wonderful testaments鈥� to what the Yunus-led interim government has done for the labour sector in the past three and a half months, Kelly Fay Rodriguez said, referring to the steps, including the 18-point agreement signed between the government and the local unions.
The US officials called for ensuring the right to do union in the factories and also reviews of wages every year to cushion millions of garment and footwear workers from inflationary pressure.
鈥業t is good for business and good for the economy,鈥� Thea May Lee said, speaking about the benefits of decent minimum wages in garment factories.
She also said that worker unions are a training ground for democracy.
Senior officials of three top US brands, PVH, Calvin Klein, and Gap Inc, were also present in the meeting.
Michael Bride, senior vice president of PVH Corp, said that they backed labour reforms in Bangladesh, mentionging that they supported similar efforts in Cambodia.
Yunus urged the brands to declare every January the increased prices they would pay for the orders they would place with the Bangladeshi garment manufacturers so that the manufacturers could raise workers鈥� wages accordingly.
US Charge d鈥檃ffaires Meghan Bouldin was also in the meeting. She said that the US fully supported professor Yunus鈥檚 sweeping labour reforms.
鈥榃e want to be partners with you,鈥� she said.