Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-Bangladesh has stressed on logical prices for its readymade garment (RMG) products from international buyers to ensure continued improvement of the sector in terms of safety, security and workers' rights.
Foreign buyers should provide fair price for readymade garment (RMG) products imported from Bangladesh which would support entrepreneurs to provide decent wages and maintain congenial atmosphere in the factories in the country, State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque said at a joint press conference with Danish Minister for Employment Jorn Neergaard Larsen in Dhaka on Tuesday, reports the fibre2fashion.
Larsen stressed the need for forging tripartite social dialogue in factories involving trade unions, factory owners and government representatives to improve working conditions in RMG.
The joint press conference came after the launching a project on strategic sector cooperation with financial and technical support from the Denmark government.
The three-year partnership will especially focus on occupational safety and health (OSH) in RMG sector.
'Social dialogue', Larsen said, 'would help to improve working conditions and productivity of the factories'.
Strategic sector cooperation would support Bangladesh's efforts for capacity building of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments to enforce compliance in industries and for ensuring occupational safety and health, he added.
Asked if he would ask RMG importers in Denmark to provide fair price, Larsen said quality supply chain 'is a very high priority' to consumers in his country.
It would also help Bangladesh to open new markets for its products, he added.
Mujibul Haque said buyers were not increasing the price of the products although they were asking to maintain compliance and increase standard of production.
Bangladesh will continue making improvements in its RMG sector, he said.
Despite all the government efforts, Haque said, business in the RMG sector instead of going up, has decreased by 1.8 per cent in the last year.
He said buyers should give at least 'fair' and 'ethical' price, which would help to maintain standards of production and labour rights.
BBN/SK/AD