Background of Project

FPRW is a USDOL-funded project that aims to address specific challenges faced by workers’ and employers’ organizations by building local capacity in relation to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The project will support the Government of Bangladesh with legislative and policy initiatives to support full-fledged compliance with international labour standards. FPRW will work with the social partners in embracing compliance to labour standards as a viable and attractive economic development strategy.

Promoting Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in Bangladesh (FPRW)

FPRW is a project with the tripartite partners from the Government of Bangladesh (particularly the Ministry of Labour and Export Processing Zone Authority), employers’ associations, and workers’ organizations which aims to improve labour legislation and practices in Bangladesh for good faith labour relations based on rights and responsibilities to become the norm.

While the ready-made garment (RMG) industries are an important part of the FPRW project, the successes of the project will also positively impact other export oriented industries. The FPRW project is designed to support the efforts in Bangladesh to adopt and enforce labour law and policies which are in compliance with international labour standards. A primary objective of FPRW is to achieve compliance with the ILO conventions on freedom of association (87) and the right to collectively bargain (98).

FPRW project has specific components to:

• support the tripartite partners in their efforts to amend current labour law to achieve improved compliance with international labour standards and to develop expedited, efficient labour dispute resolution mechanisms which enjoy the confidence of the parties and are legally sound.
• assess the strengths and weaknesses of worker organizations in the RMG sector and to build the skills and capacity of local level worker organizations members to responsibly advocate for the rights and interests of workers with their employers. FPRW will also include a mass education and information program with RMG workers which will disseminate information on the rights of responsibilities of workers and employers in exercising their collective rights.
• support employers in building the capacity of enterprise level owners and managers to engage effectively and in good faith labour & industrial relations with the legitimate representatives of their employees. FPRW will include a program with employers that supports management practices based on labour compliance and dialogue with workers as an attractive business model which positively affects competitiveness, quality, morale, and the retention of quality, committed employees.

FPRW project will support the tripartite partners in the shared goal of realizing the opportunities for strong growth; both in volume and higher value production, of the RMG and export oriented industries based on labour compliance. Employers, workers, and the country as a whole will benefit from a successful FPRW project in that Bangladesh will be associated with positive industry practices as they relate to compliance with labour standards.

For more information on the FPRW project in Bangladesh please contact:

Ravindra Chanaka Samithadasa
Project Coordinator
Promoting Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in Bangladesh Project

E-mail: