Decent work, skills vital for RMG's global competitiveness: Experts

Bangladesh's readymade garment (RMG) sector must move beyond compliance and invest in workers' skills, wellbeing and responsible business practices to remain globally competitive amid technological and economic shifts, industry and labour experts said.

They made the remarks at a roundtable titled "Redesigning Systems for Decent Work and Global Competitiveness", jointly organised by CARE Bangladesh and The Business Standard at the TBS office yesterday. Fatima Jahan Seema, lead, Program Monitoring & Impact at CARE Bangladesh, presented the keynote and moderated the discussion.

Seema said LDC graduation, declining trade preferences, technological change and climate risks were pushing the sector into a critical transition. Although apparel exports reached around $42 billion in FY2021-22, Bangladesh must focus on higher-value products, productivity and market diversification. 

With trade preferences potentially eroding after 2029, workers will need digital, technical, machine-operation, quality-management and supervisory skills, while women should move into technical, supervisory and management roles, she said.

Emebet Menna, deputy country director at CARE Bangladesh, said decent work must be a shared responsibility of the government, buyers, factories and trade unions. 

"Decent work should not be viewed merely as a compliance requirement; rather, it requires a genuine shift in mindset," she said, stressing that workplace safety and welfare affect productivity and competitiveness.

Mohammad Shah Alam, deputy general manager at Epyllion Group, said gas shortages and power disruptions were raising costs and worsening working conditions. 

Some factories cannot run enough fans during outages, forcing workers to work in excessive heat. Stable energy supplies are essential for both worker welfare and competitiveness, he said.

Md Arifuzzaman, deputy inspector general at the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, said RMG factory accidents have fallen by around 80%, while accidents in other industries have increased. 

"We are therefore giving greater attention to sectors such as leather, ceramics and re-rolling mills during factory inspections," he said.

He proposed a national minimum wage instead of separate sector-based wages and stressed worker participation in wage-setting. 

"Simply increasing wages will not improve workers' skills. Their mental and social wellbeing at the workplace also needs to be given importance," he said.

Nishat Nahrin Hamid, chairperson of the BGMEA Standing Committee on Energy Optimisation, said energy costs doubled in 2023, while inflation and declining orders added pressure on suppliers. 

"If workers are satisfied and properly managed, productivity increases, benefiting workers, factories and buyers alike," she said, urging global brands to treat factories as long-term partners.

Labour rights advocate Rajekuzzaman Ratan said decent work requires a democratic workplace where workers can raise concerns. He noted that 282 of 724 approved inspector positions remain vacant. 

"Decent work should not be viewed merely as a compliance issue. It should also be seen as a means of improving workers' quality of life, skills and bargaining power," he said.

Taslima Yasmin, associate professor of law at Dhaka University, said women's participation must be accompanied by stronger measures against gender-based violence and sexual harassment. 

Despite Bangladesh's ratification of ILO Convention 190, she said the Labour Act lacks clear penalties and remedies. She called for a separate workplace sexual-harassment law and specialised inspector training.

Speakers also stressed communication, leadership, problem-solving, time-management, stress-management and financial decision-making skills alongside technical training. "Training workers alone will not bring sustainable change. Management attitudes, workplace culture and production systems also need to change," they said.

Md Ryhan Ibn Rahman of Natural Group, China Rahman of the Federation of Garment Workers, Sekender Ali Mina of Safety and Rights Society and Sramik Nirapotta Forum, Bablur Rahman of Fair Wear Foundation, and AKM Monirul Kobir of BILS also spoke at the event.