European Union (EU) Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Mobility Thyssen Marianne has said the progress achieved so far in Bangladesh’s RMG sector proves that initiatives like the Bangladesh Compact can be effective in promoting genuine social dialogue and decent working conditions in the global context.

‘While aiming for more fairness in global supply chains, we must also continue to encourage essential reforms,’ Thyssen said while giving final reaction final reaction on the meeting of Sustainability Compact held on Thursday, reported UNB.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said promoting responsible supply chains is an important part of their new trade and investment strategy, according to a message received from the delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh on Saturday.

‘The respect of human and core labour rights are at the heart of our engagement with countries getting privileged access to the EU market,’ Malmström said.

The EU Trade Commissioner also said the Compact cooperation shows that they can team up with other partners concerned and work towards bringing about positive change.

‘We are committed to taking this joint work forward in several areas in the coming months.’

At the meeting, the representatives of the EU, US, Canada, Bangladesh and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) - partners committed to the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact - assessed the progress and set priorities for further work to improve situation of Bangladeshi textile workers.

The meeting was also an opportunity for an open dialogue with stakeholders including trade unions, NGOs, buyers and employers.

The initiative born in the aftermath of the tragic factory collapses in 2013 has brought about some tangible progress.

The government of Bangladesh has put in place a legal framework for labour protection that has now to be effectively implemented.

Also, important work has been done on initial safety inspections in factories and to strengthen capacity of inspection services.

The priorities for further work singled out by the participants of the meeting include tackling issues related to registration of trade unions, ensuring appropriate investigation and prosecution of unfair labour practices and ensuring that workers can freely elect their representatives at factory level consistently with ILO conventions.

Workers in Export Processing Zones should also have commensurate rights to those of the workers outside these zones, said the EU statement.

On the safety side, the joint conclusions point to the importance of practical measures and repairs that need to be carried out in the factories.

Partners will also continue supporting the Bangladeshi authorities in building capacity necessary for an effective supervision of occupational safety and health conditions, electrical safety and structural integrity of buildings and work in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders.

The parties warmly welcomed Canada as a new partner to the Compact and reaffirmed their commitment.