IMPLEMENTATION OF WRWC EPZ LAW PRESSES ON

UNCLAS DHAKA 000683 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB ETRD PGOV BG SUBJECT: IMPLEMENTATION OF WRWC EPZ LAW PRESSES ON ¶1. (SBU) The Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA) continues to press ahead in implementing the EPZ Workers Association and Industrial Relations Act, 2004 (the EPZ Law). BEPZA's Savar Export Processing Zone General Manager Kamal Ahkter told laboff that by the beginning of February, all 500 WRWC members in his EPZ will be trained in their responsibilities as Worker Representation and Welfare Committee (WRWC) members and chair/convenors, adding that Chittagong's EPZ, with more factories, will conclude their training by the end of April. ¶2. (SBU) The Savar EPZ's training program design consists of four hours of lecture, followed by question and answers. The listed sessions consisted of: --40 minutes on the rights and responsibilities of WRWC members in light of the new law; --40 minutes on industrial relations, working conditions, and health and safety issues; --40 minutes on grievance procedures, and prevention and effects of industrial disputes; --20 minutes on "the social dialogue process"; and --40 minutes on BEPZA instructions 1 and 2. Laboff observed one training session attended by 30 WRWC members. A BEPZA labor attorney lectured on the first three subject for one and one/half hours, before being replaced by BEPZA's security chief on the remaining sessions. ¶3. (SBU) Ahkter told laboff that Savar EPZ's next phase, starting in late February, will be to train 500 mid-level managers, such as personnel and human resources managers, on their tasks in implementing the 2004 law, with the third tranche of training aimed at investors, and the fourth tranche aimed at 200 top managers. Ahkter said that they trained the 500 WRWC members in three months time, and expected to complete all four trances of the training by mid-2007. ¶4. (SBU) When asked how this fits with the EPZ law, which calls for Worker Association elections starting in November 2006, Kamal sidestepped the question by focusing on the problems BEPZA faces. He said that mid-level managers, who are Bangladeshi, do not want to sit down with the WRWC, as they consider the workers below them. He added that the mid-level managers have an "ego problem." He said the typical attitude of a mid-level manager is "why do I have to sit down with a known 'troublemaker?'" As for top managers, Ahkter said that the international managers do not stay long and do not take the time to learn the culture and the workers. He would like to break the ice and put the mid-level managers, top managers and WRWC members together, but it takes people out of production. ¶5. (SBU) General Manager Ahkter recently sat down with one factory's WRWC to discuss work issues. He listened to their issues, and noted to laboff that they all seemed reasonable. When asked why the WRWC was not talking directly to management, Ahkter said that this factory held four of the required manager-WRWC monthly meetings since February 2005, but the manager no longer wanted to have such meetings. Ahkter said that he felt obliged to mediate the situation. Asked how he thought the implementation of the EPZ law was doing, he replied that more training in labor rights is needed for everyone. "There is not enough, we actually need a permanent institute," he said. Asked if outside assistance could be used, he said, "We can provide better information than outside people." CHAMMAS