Sowing the seeds of workplace cooperation in Bangladesh

“What do you see when people are angry?”

The replies come thick and fast: “Red faces, shaking, shouting.”

“But what makes people angry, what lies beneath the surface?” asks the trainer.

There is quiet for a few moments but soon the room comes alive with answers.

“Stress, insecurity, lack of trust,” call out the participants, an eclectic mix of RMG factory workers, managers, representatives of unions, employers organizations and educators.

Industries in Bangladesh face considerable challenges in relation to working conditions as well as lack of worker access to freedom of association and collective bargaining. At the heart of many problems are poor labour-management relations. ILO is therefore putting emphasis on building skills at all levels to help bring about better workplace cooperation.

“A big issue is that the two sides see each other as enemies,” says Sylvain Baffi, from the ILO’s International Training Centre in Turin. “There needs to be a move towards compromise.”

Sometimes supervisors shout when the sewing machine breaks and production stops. But shouting does not solve the problem. We need to learn how to talk, speak to the supervisors and communicate better."

Machine operator Anju Aru

A series of sessions have seen a core group of 28 staff from factory management, industry organizations, unions and management colleges become master trainers in workplace cooperation. Pilot training sessions were then held by ILO experts with workers and plant level managers so that the newly trained trainers could practice putting their new skills into practice.

Amongst the participants was Anju Aru, a sewing machine operator in an RMG factory.

“I am really happy to come. Sometimes supervisors shout when the sewing machine breaks and production stops. But shouting does not solve the problem. We need to learn how to talk, speak to the supervisors and communicate better,” she said.

ILO’s Ravi Samithadasa emphasized the importance of keeping the training at a practical and useful level.

“We focus on human skills such as team work, how to identify problems, and think on your feet. First you must build the relationships then then you can move onto other things,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of the diverse backgrounds of the various master trainers.

“By including participants from traditional educational institutes as well as organizations who know day-in-day-out business pressures we have created a strong group of trainers with a wide range of skills. This is not a short term action and we want to create a network so if any trainer is having problems they can ask the others for support.

” Follow up sessions will take place at plant level in collaboration with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM) and Bangladesh Export Zones Processing Authority (BEPZA). By the end of 2015 it is expected that 4,000 managers and workers’ representatives from some 140 enterprises both inside and outside EPZs will have received the training.

ILO’s activities to enhance workplace cooperation in Bangladesh are supported by the governments of Norway and Denmark.