ILO to collaborate with BEPZA to promote Labour-management relations

Dhaka - The Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA)and The International Labour Organization (ILO) have agreed to collaborate in strengthening labour inspection systems and promotion of labour-management relations in the special Export Processing Zones (EPZ) in the county.

Meeting document | 30 April 2014
This was agreed in a meeting between Mr. Srinivasa B Reddy, Country Director, ILO and Major General Mohd Habibur Rahman Khan, ndc, psc, Executive Chairman of BEPZA on 17 April 2014.

The BEPZA Executive Chairman briefed ILO Country Director on various developments including exercise of freedom of association (FoA) and collective bargaining (CBg) by workers in eight EPZ across Bangladesh.

Mr. Srinivasa B Reddy on the ongoing activities of ILO in Bangladesh including the launching of the Improving Working Conditions in the Ready-Made Garment Sector, Better Work Programme, factory inspection to ensure worker’s safety and training programmes for promotion of FoA and effective labour-management relations.

“ILO has been working to ensure a safe workplace for workers conducive to promote productivity in Bangladesh,” says Mr. Reddy. “This will benefit the country promoting more investment and generating more jobs,” he continued.

The BEPZA management sought ILO’s technical support for training programmes on labour-management relations and dispute resolution mechanisms.

The ILO Country Director has assured the BEPZA to look into how both the organizations can mutually collaborate in this regard.

Mr. Sayed Nurul Islam, Member (Investment Promotion), Mr. AZM Azizur Rahman, General Manager (Investment Promotion), and Mr. Md. Nurul Haque, General Manager (Enterprise Service) of BEPZA, amongst others, joined the meeting.