DHAKA: The need to promote dialogue and build trust between workers and employers to ensure sustainable growth of the Ready Made Garment (RMG) sector was stressed by high-level speakers at an event on workplace cooperation held in city on Thursday, says a press release.

The day-long event was organized by the Promoting Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in Bangladesh (FPRW) project of the International Labour Organization (ILO) which is funded by the US Department of Labor.

It brought together representatives of employers and workers organisations from the RMG sector to train them in techniques to better facilitate workplace cooperation.

State Minister for the Ministry of Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu said, “To ensure sustainability and growth of the RMG sector it is vital that there is a congenial working environment at factory level. This is only achievable through workplace cooperation between employers and employees.”

ILO Country Director to Bangladesh Srinivas B Reddy said, “Ensuring workplace cooperation is the responsibility of both workers and employers and is especially important in view of the dramatic increase in new trade unions over the last 18 months.”

The number of trade unions in the RMG has increased to 367 with 236 new unions formed since early 2013.

“The growth of unions is a positive development that will help secure better labour rights for garment workers. Yet with rights come responsibilities. It is extremely important that union representatives learn how to effectively negotiate and interact with employers. It is equally important that employers learn to view unions as an asset and work with them to create workforce harmony that will benefit staff and businesses alike,” Mr Reddy added.

A total of 30 participants from five RMG/knitwear factories with an equal number of mid-level managers and worker representatives took part in the training.

This was the first event in an ongoing series of activities aimed at bringing together workers and their employers to create better industrial relations and build a constructive dialogue at shop-floor level.

ILO will continue to support factories and trade union officials in this regard.

US ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena, First Vice President of BKMEA Mansoor Ahmed, BEF Adviser Kamran T Rahman, BGMEA President Atiqul Islam and Member Secretary of NCCWE Amirul Haque Amin also were present at the closing ceremony of the workshop.

BDST: 2038 HRS, OCT 16, 2014