Economic Reporter :
Labour intensive business models inadvertently expose companies and workers to risks due to limited transparency in recruitment, employment and working conditions, as well as migration processes, experts said.
Lack of awareness about labour standards and ethical recruitment practices are among the factors that exacerbate the vulnerabilities of migrant workers, they said.
The experts from the government, business community, civil society and development partners said sustainable sourcing, ethical labour, and recruitment practices are the keys to address the issues and it is also imperative to industry growth in Bangladesh.
They came up with the observation at a discussion titled “Uplifting the Competitiveness of Bangladesh through Ethical Labour Practices in Supply Chains” held at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka on Sunday.
International Organization for Migration (IOM) and International Business Forum Bangladesh (IBFB) organized the event to provide relevant stakeholders with insights on Bangladesh’s migration and labour nexus as well as highlighting the country priorities and create awareness and dialogues between institutions on sustainable sourcing and ethical recruitment.
In the concept note of the event it shows, in Bangladesh, employment opportunities, climate change, natural disasters, and marriage are key triggers for migration movements from the rural to the urban sector and cross border migration. Dhaka and Chittagong are the destinations of 80 percent of the country’s internal migrants.
This is the internal migration landscape that allows Bangladesh, the world’s third-largest exporter of clothing, Asia’s third in commercial services and recently an important player in the export of agricultural goods to continue thriving economically.
Additionally, more than 730,000 workers have also migrated internationally in 2018. In short, the migration nexus of Bangladesh is unique.
However, workers are at risks due to lack of awareness and limited capacity to implement appropriate corporate policies and management systems also contribute to vulnerabilities of workers.
Addressing the issue, Sharon Dimance, Deputy Chief of Mission, IOM Bangladesh, said Bangladesh has a significant market opportunity for businesses to secure their connection to a global market where the legalization of corporate responsibility, including ethical recruitment, is increasingly becoming a reality.
“If Bangladesh ensures sustainable sourcing and ethical recruitment, it will increase the country’s competitiveness,” he said.
Dr Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, Additional Secretary of Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment said, “We have a lot of challenges. Unethical labour practice is one of them. However, we have a legal framework so that ethical issues have been maintained Bangladesh has adopted a very inclusive macroeconomic policy which helps us to address the issue of unethical labour practice.”
Dr Rubana Huq, President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said labour is a very sensitive issue and that is why they need to take this issue as an utmost priority.
“Yes, we have some problem in our sector. But the quality and quantity are very low. However, we have the scope to develop our sector. If we want to develop our sector, we need to have a collective initiative. We need to be strategic. We want to do what is best for our labours. We need to make a bridge among the stakeholders. And, we need to engage ourselves to bring positive changes,” she said.
The event also discussed the steps enterprises can take to adopt best practices that are good for business and fair for workers.
Labour intensive business models inadvertently expose companies and workers to risks due to limited transparency in recruitment, employment and working conditions, as well as migration processes, experts said.
Lack of awareness about labour standards and ethical recruitment practices are among the factors that exacerbate the vulnerabilities of migrant workers, they said.
The experts from the government, business community, civil society and development partners said sustainable sourcing, ethical labour, and recruitment practices are the keys to address the issues and it is also imperative to industry growth in Bangladesh.
They came up with the observation at a discussion titled “Uplifting the Competitiveness of Bangladesh through Ethical Labour Practices in Supply Chains” held at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka on Sunday.
International Organization for Migration (IOM) and International Business Forum Bangladesh (IBFB) organized the event to provide relevant stakeholders with insights on Bangladesh’s migration and labour nexus as well as highlighting the country priorities and create awareness and dialogues between institutions on sustainable sourcing and ethical recruitment.
In the concept note of the event it shows, in Bangladesh, employment opportunities, climate change, natural disasters, and marriage are key triggers for migration movements from the rural to the urban sector and cross border migration. Dhaka and Chittagong are the destinations of 80 percent of the country’s internal migrants.
This is the internal migration landscape that allows Bangladesh, the world’s third-largest exporter of clothing, Asia’s third in commercial services and recently an important player in the export of agricultural goods to continue thriving economically.
Additionally, more than 730,000 workers have also migrated internationally in 2018. In short, the migration nexus of Bangladesh is unique.
However, workers are at risks due to lack of awareness and limited capacity to implement appropriate corporate policies and management systems also contribute to vulnerabilities of workers.
Addressing the issue, Sharon Dimance, Deputy Chief of Mission, IOM Bangladesh, said Bangladesh has a significant market opportunity for businesses to secure their connection to a global market where the legalization of corporate responsibility, including ethical recruitment, is increasingly becoming a reality.
“If Bangladesh ensures sustainable sourcing and ethical recruitment, it will increase the country’s competitiveness,” he said.
Dr Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, Additional Secretary of Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment said, “We have a lot of challenges. Unethical labour practice is one of them. However, we have a legal framework so that ethical issues have been maintained Bangladesh has adopted a very inclusive macroeconomic policy which helps us to address the issue of unethical labour practice.”
Dr Rubana Huq, President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said labour is a very sensitive issue and that is why they need to take this issue as an utmost priority.
“Yes, we have some problem in our sector. But the quality and quantity are very low. However, we have the scope to develop our sector. If we want to develop our sector, we need to have a collective initiative. We need to be strategic. We want to do what is best for our labours. We need to make a bridge among the stakeholders. And, we need to engage ourselves to bring positive changes,” she said.
The event also discussed the steps enterprises can take to adopt best practices that are good for business and fair for workers.
