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Free RMG unions from suppression US senator urges govt, RMG makers

Diplomatic Correspondent
LIS Senator Robert Menendez has urged the government and the BGMEA to take steps to end the suppression of fledgling unions of RMG workers to help keep 'Made in Bangladesh' brand shine globally.
"If the BGMEA and Bangladesh government do not take immediate and concerted steps to end the suppression of fledgling unions, it is only a matter of time before another large-scale tragedy hits Bangladesh's garment industry.
"And the 'Made in Bangladesh' brand is tarnished beyond repair," he said in a statement.
Menendez, also chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, issued the statement in the early hours yesterday regarding the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy.
"The BC.MEA and Bangladesh government must understand this simple message: Western consumers will not buy clothes that are stained with the blood of Bangladesh’s workers," he said.
Without the strong voice of an independent factory union, workers have no mechanism to ensure their own safety, Menendez said.
"They [workers] cannot make sure that managers keep fire doors shut and stairwells clear, or that cracks in columns and walls are not simply painted over."
He observed that the Bangladesh government, while making progress in the registration of new unions, still lacks the institutional capacity and political will to protect them.
"This has had a chilling effect on labour organising in the country. Many workers now fear losing their jobs if they join a union and union organisers rightly fear for their own safety."
One year ago this week, the world's conscience was shocked by the deaths of over 1,130 garment workers when Rana Plaza, the building which housed their factories, collapsed on top of them.
"For many, the tragedy was a call to action. The US government has suspended trade benefits for Bangladesh until it takes several concrete steps to improve workers' rights and safety,” he said.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has initiated its largest-ever safe factories programme in Bangladesh and coordinated safety inspections, as well as compensation for the victims of Rana Plaza.
International retailers have taken important initial steps to address building and worker safety in Bangladesh.
"Yet, for others involved in Bangladesh's garment industry, the past year has been business as usual. Many factory owners in Bangladesh have suppressed the formation of unions in their factories by firing union leaders.
"According to reports, some factory managers have been involved in vicious attacks on union organisers,” said the US senator.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) continues to represent the old guard of factory owners and has been reluctant to take any action against its members who