Just transition must put workers at the centre: Experts
Stakeholders urge stronger social protection, reskilling and social dialogue.
Bangladesh's readymade garment (RMG) sector must ensure that workers remain at the centre of its green and technological transition, speakers said at a seminar in Dhaka yesterday (31 August).
They said climate change, automation, artificial intelligence and digitalisation are transforming the apparel industry, creating opportunities for higher productivity and sustainability while also posing new risks to workers' jobs, incomes, skills, health and workplace safety.
The seminar, titled "Strengthening Multi-Stakeholder Cooperation for Inclusive Worker-Centric Just Transition in the Bangladesh Apparel Sector," was organised by the Awaj Foundation, a platform of Bangladesh-based labour rights, at a hotel in the capital, with support from the Laudes Foundation and Foundation for a Just Society.
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Representatives of employers, workers and trade unions, brands, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), the government, the International Labour Organization (ILO), labour rights organisations and other stakeholders discussed measures to ensure an inclusive and worker-centred transition.
In her opening remarks, Nazma Akter, general secretary and executive director of the Awaj Foundation, stressed the need to ensure workers' voices in decisions affecting their jobs, livelihoods and future.
Md Shahinur Rahman, consultant, Worker Rights and Resilience, presented the keynote paper.
Participants said climate-related heat stress and flooding are increasingly affecting workers' health, productivity, attendance and household incomes.
At the same time, automation and digital technologies can alter employment patterns, work pressure, working hours, workplace monitoring and occupational safety, they added.
The speakers stressed that technological transformation must go hand in hand with reskilling and upskilling, particularly for women, older workers and less-skilled workers who may face greater difficulty adapting to workplace changes.
They also called for stronger social protection, income support, employment services, redeployment opportunities and transitional assistance for workers who lose jobs or income due to technological, climate or economic changes.
Decent work, occupational safety and health, climate-resilient workplaces and fair and living wages were also highlighted.
