Staff Correspondent

The Chief of the Labour Reform Commission, Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, has urged the preparation of a white paper to address the plight of garment workers.

“All issues within the garment industry should be resolved at the factory level, not in secretariats or luxury hotels. The health risks faced by workers across various sectors, including garments, must be eliminated, and a healthy working environment ensured within factories,” he stated while speaking as the chief guest at a roundtable discussion on the current state of the garment industry and its future prospects.

The roundtable, organised by the Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AWFA) Bangladesh, was held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity Auditorium on Tuesday, with Textile Garment Workers Federation President Abul Hossain in the chair.

Prominent participants included economist Professor MM Akash, Labour Reform Commission member Taslima Akhtar, AWFA Bangladesh representative Arifur Rahman, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Sweaters Sramik Trade Union Center Kazi Ruhul Amin, Textile Garment Workers Federation General Secretary Tapan Saha, Green Bangla Garment Workers Federation General Secretary Md. Elias, Garment Workers Oikya League General Secretary Md. Sarwar Hossain, and Sammilita Sramik Federation General Secretary Nahidul Hasan Nayan, among others.

Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed emphasised the importance of the Labour Reform Commission’s recent formation, describing it as a significant opportunity to uphold workers’ rights. “The commission aims to contribute to the development of the industrial sector while safeguarding workers’ interests. To support this mission, a white paper on garment workers’ conditions is essential. It should include actionable instructions for resolving their problems. The active participation of employers, workers, and the government is crucial in this process,” he added.

Professor MM Akash stressed the need for a national minimum wage that ensures a humane standard of living and called for its implementation to reduce instability in the garment sector. He stated, “Minimum wages should not be determined verbally but through a well-defined policy. It must ensure that no worker earns below the poverty line. Workers across all sectors should have access to rations, training centers, and opportunities to form trade unions.”

He further noted that labor organizations must unite on a common platform to address issues collectively.

The keynote paper highlighted that the country's authoritarian government underwent changes following a student-public uprising. It added that the chief advisor of the current interim government has committed to ensuring justice, while the Labor Advisor has promised to expedite the process of revising the minimum wage and implementing the workers' 18-point demands. Declaring a national minimum wage and introducing a rationing system were underscored as vital measures to reduce inequality.