Dhaka: International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a new initiative for improving workplace rights and industrial relations in the readymade garment (RMG) sector of the country.

Sweden will provide funding worth US$5.4 million to the initiative titled, ‘Promoting Social Dialogue and Harmonious Industrial Relations in the Bangladesh Ready-Made Garment Industry’, which will run from November 2015 to December 2020.

An agreement to launch the project was signed in New York on Saturday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Isabella Lövin, ILO Director General Guy Ryder and Secretary of the Bangladesh Ministry of Labour and Employment Mikail Shipar signed the agreement for their respective countries and organisation.

The event was witnessed by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, according to a message received here on Sunday.

The project will enhance labour relations through improved dialogue between employers and workers, particularly at workplace level.

Conciliation and arbitration mechanisms will be strengthened to develop a more effective, trusted system and enhance the capacity of workers and employers to engage in social dialogue and collective bargaining as well as to make effective use of dispute prevention and resolution mechanisms.

Given the large presence of women in the workforce, efforts will be made to fully incorporate their interests.

Speaking at the signing, ILO Director General Guy Ryder said, ‘ILO seeks to make the world’s factories and workplaces safe and decent places to work.’

‘While much progress has been made in Bangladesh over recent years, this initiative will contribute towards improved working conditions and labour rights in the garment sector, in line with relevant international labour standards,’ he noted.

Secretary of the Bangladesh Ministry of Labour and Employment Mikail Shipar said, ‘The Government of Bangladesh is committed to enhancing conditions and rights for all workers. This initiative will make a major contribution towards that goal. Although initially targeting the garment industry, the impact of the project will eventually cover all sectors.’

Meanwhile, Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Isabella Lövin emphasized the need to support women RMG workers.

‘Sweden is proud to partner with Bangladesh and ILO in this project, especially as it focuses on a sector where 80 percent of the workers are women and will support women’s economic empowerment while improving their working conditions,’ she said.

The Promoting Social Dialogue and Harmonious Industrial Relations in Bangladesh Ready-Made Garment Industry project will be implemented by ILO in collaboration with the Department of Labour (DoL) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

It will work closely with employers and workers organizations namely the Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF), Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), National Coordination Council for Workers Education (NCCWE) and IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC). The project will also engage international buyers and trade unions.

Bangladesh’s RMG sector has grown rapidly since the 1980s and currently comprises some 3,500 export-oriented factories which generate over 80 percent of the nation’s export earnings.

The industry currently employs an estimated 4.2 million workers, the majority of whom are women.