H&M present at public hearing at the government in Bangladesh
On Saturday May 18 H&M attended a hearing about safety in the garment industry, arranged by the government in Bangladesh. Other brands, the EU, the UN, NGO’s, trade unions, suppliers and embassies were also present at the meeting. H&M was the only brand speaking at the hearing, highlighting its support and demands for a safer textile industry in the country.
The meeting was meant to guide the commission which has been appointed by the government in response to raise security issues in the Ready Made Garment industry. At the hearing H&M called for stronger labour law enforcement as well as a closer dialog with all parties of the industry. The dialog should be continuous, transparent and forward driven, where issues and concerns can be discussed and negotiated.
H&M also focused on fire and building safety, where we emphasized the:
- Support of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, and a strong role for the International Labour Organization (ILO), through the Bangladesh office to ensure that the Fire and Safety Tripartite National Action Plan will come into effect
- Disclosure of discussions, information and findings
- Support for adopting best industry practice
In addition H&M also emphasized the need for stronger and functional workers’ associations. There is a need for improved protection regarding freedom of association, collective bargaining and occupational health and safety as per ILO requirements. H&M also supports political independency of national trade unions and increased transparency of employer-trade union interactions.