Efforts to upgrade compliance at Bangladesh shrimp plants

Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA), Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF) and American Center for International Labor Solidarity yesterday joined hands to achieve international standards at shrimp processing plants in Bangladesh.

The deal will promote ILO Core Labour Standards and The Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 at the plants to enhance the quality of shrimp products, BSFF said in a statement.

Md Aminullah, president of BFFEA; Syed Mahmudul Huq, chairman of BSFF, and Alonzo Suson, country programme director of Solidarity Center (Bangladesh), signed the deal at BRAC Centre Inn in Dhaka.

Prior to this, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on January 19 by the parties to achieve standards in the shrimp processing plants in line with the ILO Core Labour Standards to the extent as reflected in Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 through executing a memorandum of agreement (MoA) by March 30.

As agreed in the MoU, a joint committee (JC) with two persons from each organisation was constituted, which thereafter submitted a work plan for implementing and enforcing the standards in the shrimp and fish processing plants to the parties.

Based on the recommendations of the committee, the parties have agreed to execute the MoA, according to the statement.

The MoA will help the parties conduct  two surveys: (a) to assess the present working conditions of the workers in terms of BLA 2006, and (b) to assess the present status of the processing plants in terms of their capacity and find out gaps and laps of the individual plants.

Based on the outcome of the survey, which would be conducted through an independent entity, a joint committee, will prepare and undertake training programmes for the workers, officers and managers/employers of the processing plants.

The programmes will also be meant for the officers of the enforcement agencies of the government to enhance the capability to comply with and enforce the provisions of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006.

Under the MoA, the parties shall establish an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism to address the dispute of the workers and employers in the shrimp and fish processing plants.

Framing of required rules and regulations and the process of establishment of ADR mechanism shall be completed within three months of the signing of the MoA, according to the statement.

Bangladesh Economic Growth Programme (BEGP) Project under the commerce ministry has agreed to assist the implementation of the activities of the MoA.

It is expected that the BEGP project will implement some of its programmes in the processing plants through the MoA.

The parties will mobilise/arrange fund from their own sources and will also jointly approach potential fund providers, including the Bangladesh government, to fund the activities of the MoA.

As agreed, the parties will meet at least quarterly to evaluate the implementation of the working plan as agreed in the MoA and present the accomplishment report(s) to a roundtable stakeholders meeting that should be convened at least once in six months.

The stakeholders shall include representatives of the parties of the MoA, government, academicians, employers, workers, NGOs and trade unions.

The Solidarity Center has been working to facilitate the implementation of Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 and ILO Core Labour Standards for the workers of shrimp and fish processing plants since 2005.

The Center had consistently been raising its concerns on the lack of implementation of workers’ rights in the processing plants.

It had discussed the issues with stakeholders at different levels, including the BFFEA, the owners association of processing plants, the association said in the statement.

BFFEA and BSFF also had raised some concerns about the industry which had been facing a number of challenges in terms of business.

However, all the parties agreed that more can and should be done jointly in addition to the ongoing individual efforts of the parties to improve the working conditions and to ensure workers’ rights of processing plants.

Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Ujjwal Bikash Dutta, Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed, Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar, Foreign Affairs Secretary Md Shahidul Haque, US Ambassador Dan W Mozena and Mission Director of USAID-Bangladesh Richard Greene attended the meeting. (Source)