A Workers Resource Centre (WRC), between the two leading worker organizations- the National Coordination Committee on Workers Education (NCCWE) and the IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC), has launched on 11 April at CIRDAP center in the capital aimed at helping trade unions build capacity in Bangladesh Ready Made Garment (RMG) industry and provide better services to its members.
The initiative is supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s Social Dialogue and Harmonious Industrial Relations project funded by Sweden and Denmark.
Honorable Chief Guest Hasanul Haq Inu, Minister of Information, said, “WRC should lead to a more effective union movement by fostering a culture of consultation, capacity building, and information sharing. I hope this initiative can go beyond the RMG industry and benefit workers.”
Sukkur Mahmud, President of Jatiyo Sramik League and Chairperson of the WRC said his presentation, “WRC will provide various services including advocacy, awareness raising and training on workers’ rights, dispute resolution, grievance handling, negotiation, collective bargaining as well as occupational safety and health.”
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“WRC already started in Tongi Industrial zone, Very soon WRC stated their activities to all industrial zone. It will also help promote the active participation of women in trade unions,” he added.
More than 4.5 million workers are working in garments sector, but only 2 million workers are attached with the trade union, said Towhidur Rahman, Secretary General of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council. Workers Resource Centre will help unions learn how to represent its workers in RMG factories, he added
“Now Bangladesh has 63.3 million labor working in the different sector, every year 2 million labours are increasing,” said Kamran T. Rahman, President of the Bangladesh Employer’s Federation. We need more skilled worker to achieve the SDG by 2030. WRC will play a great role in capacity building for RMG workers, he added
“WRC marks an important step in the strengthening of the trade union movement in Bangladesh,” said Kishore Kumar Singh. ILO will continue to work closely with the Government, employers and workers organizations to help facilitate and promote better social dialogue in the RMG sector and beyond, he added.
Razequzzaman Ratan, Member-Secretary of NCCWE, Delwar Hossain Khan, General Secretary of Bangladesh Labour Federation and Z.M. Kamrul Anam, Vice Chairman of the Workers Resource Centre were also present at the event.
