Improve labour rights, drop criminal case against worker leaders: Top US trade bodies write to Yunus

Two leading global trade bodies, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) and Fair Labour Association (FLA), urged the interim government to improve labour rights in Bangladesh and immediately drop cases against workers and release those detained during wage protests in 2023.

Steve Lamar and Jeff Vockrodt, presidents and chief executive officers of the AAFA and FLA respectively, made the call in a joint letter on 20 May addressed to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

They also called for a transparent and annual minimum wage review instead of the current five-year review taking all stakeholders into full consideration.

In this letter, they said, "The protection of workers' rights and growth of the industry are paramount. This is even more important in the midst of the ongoing negotiations with the United States over President Trump's proposed tariffs, which could have a major adverse impact on Bangladesh."

The duo also urged the government to increase penalties for unfair labour practices and extend full labor rights to workers in the Export Processing Zones(EPZ).

Urging the interim government to take urgent action about the release of workers from jail and introducing yearly wage review instead of five years, the letter said, "The time for discussion has passed. We need to see real progress. We urge the interim government to immediately release those who remain under arrest from the Fall 2023 protests over the minimum wage, including the removal of all criminal charges against those arrested during the Fall 2023 protests over the minimum wage."

It also called on the interim government to drop and resolve criminal charges brought against labour organisers, such as Babul Akhter, the general secretary of Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation and Jewel Miya, a labour organiser with the Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers Union Federation, who were both arrested in 2023 for advocating for higher wages.

About wage review, the letter said "A transparent, annual minimum wage review that fully includes all stakeholders, versus the current five-year review, enables the government to better respond to current economic circumstances without imposing sudden, huge burdens on the industry or workers."

AAFA represents more than 1,100 world famous brands, with more than 3.5 million U.S. workers, and annual turnover of more than $509 billion in US retail sales. 

On the other hand, the Fair Labor Association (FLA) is an international network of universities, civil society organisations, and companies  that promotes human rights at work.