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“Trade union in EPZs would make investors shy away”, FICCI president |
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May 1, 2000
Dhaka, Apr 30 (UNB)- As the American ambassador reminded Bangladesh of past commitment to allowing trade union in EPZs, the foreign investors’ chamber here today came up with a split view about the much-debated issue. Incumbent president of the chamber Waliur Rahman Bhuiyan viewed that allowing trade union in EPZs would make foreign investors shy away while former president Mahbub Jamil said workers’ issue should not be a matter of concern for foreign companies. The differences of opinion were exposed in the monthly luncheon meeting of Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) at Hotel Sonargaon. US Ambassador in Dhaka John C Holzman, whose country is pressing for the union right in Bangladesh’s nascent exclusive economic zones, was the guest of honour at the function. Ironically, a big project of America is being stalled by labour unrest at Chittagong Port. Mahbub Jamil said many foreign companies are operating in Bangladesh and labourers are not a problem for them. “Why EPZs should be kept as isolated islands?” he questioned. Trade unions in public sector create problems as they are politicised, but private sector does not have the same problem, he said presenting a comparative scenario. Bangladesh’s labour force is “one of the finest and a very disciplined one”, he observed. Interpolating into the debate, outgoing US Ambassador John C Holzman said that workers in EPZs could have freedom of association while investors’ interests should also be protected. Holzman reminded that there are some conditions for having GSP facilities from America. As Bangladesh agreed to allow labour rights in the export-processing zones in 1992, it should implement it, he said. The US envoy, however, had a different view about trade union activities in Chittagong Port and said many disruptions in ports were caused by labour unions, turning the port a ‘more expensive’ in whole world. Holzman cunningly averted a direct reply to a question from the audience about his two-faced observations about trade unionism in EPZs and port.
The US has long been campaigning for allowing union in EPZs or facing suspension of GSP in American market. Bangladesh preliminarily opposed, but came up with a middle formula allowing welfare-type associations.
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