FE Report
Bangladesh Sunday expressed its disapproval of the global apparel brands' latest decision to extend the Accord's tenure by three more years, calling upon them for holding discussion with the stakeholders here before taking any such decision.
The displeasure was vented at an emergency meeting of two ministers with foreign diplomats in Bangladesh and in presence of leaders of the local apparel makers at the Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital.
"The unilateral decision of extending the tenure of Accord or its second phase without holding discussion with the stakeholders, including the Bangladesh government and the apparel makers, is unexpected," commerce minister Tofail Ahmed told reporters after the meeting.  
Earlier, the Accord Steering Committee formally informed the BGMEA about the latest decision to extend the platform's tenure
until May 31, 2021 as their existing tenure will expire on May 2018.
The commerce ministry convened the meeting, following the BGMEA's request to look into the issue.
If they want to work after 2018, they can send a proposal for the government's consideration as Bangladesh is a sovereign country, said the minister, expressing dissatisfaction that they are yet to get any such proposal.
The necessity of Accord's extension and the structure, if needed, would be decided after discussion with all relevant stakeholders, he added.
Law minister Anisul Huq, acting commerce secretary Shubhashish Bose, Head of delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh Pierre Mayaudon, the US ambassador Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat, Canadian high commissioner in Dhaka Benoit-Pierre Laramee, Netherlands ambassador Leoni Margaretha Cuelenaere, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) president Md Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Md Siddiqur Rahman and its vice president Mahmud Hasan Khan, among others, were present in the meeting.
Referring to the foreign diplomats' deliberations in the meeting, Mr Tofail said that they (envoys) were also surprised, and suggested 'this was just a proposal, not a final decision'.
"It is a unilateral decision and not a sign of partnership," the BGMEA president uttered. The BGMEA made its position clear to the Steering Committee, he said, without elaborating.
Meantime, the Accord in a statement issued Sunday said: "Companies and global unions have agreed on a 2nd Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (Accord). The agreement will enter into effect when the current Accord expires in May 2018. The Accord is an unprecedented, legally binding agreement between companies and trade unions to make factories in Bangladesh safe."
Until June 30, some 16 brands and retailers like H&M, C&A, Loblaw, Primark, Inditex, PVH, Kmart Australia and Target Australia signed the new agreement 'The 2018  Bangladesh Accord' by UNI Global Union and IndustriAll Global Union and it was announced in the OECD (Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct) held on June 29 in Paris.
The new agreement puts greater emphasis on the right of workers to organise and join a union, recognising workers' empowerment is fundamental to assuring workplace safety.
It includes enhanced protections for workers whose factories are closed or relocated due to the implementation of the agreement. It also presents the possibility to expand the Accord to sectors other than the readymade garment industry.
    munni_fe@yahoo.com

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Source: The Financial Express