Following the fatal collapse of a commercial building in Bangladesh, the International Labor Organization (ILO) sent a high-level mission to the country on May 1. The purpose was to help all the parties concerned act promptly to avert a recurrence of similar tragedies. The team led by Gilbert Houngbo, ILO’s Deputy Director General for Field Operations and Partnerships, had talks with Bangladesh government officials including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Labor and Employment Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju.

　国際労働機関（ＩＬＯ）は、バングラデシュのビル崩壊事故を受け、すべての事故当事者の迅速な行動を支援する目的で、ジルベール・フォッスン・ウングボ副事務局長率いるハイレベル使節団を５月１日から同国に派遣。シェイク・ハシナ首相はじめ、労働・雇用大臣ら同国政府関係者と会合を持った。

 A joint statement announced after the talks by the ILO and the Bangladesh government, labor and management referred to the two fatal fires at the Smart Export garment factory in January this year and at the Tazreen Fashions factory last November as well as the April 24 Rana Plaza building collapse. It underlined the necessity for all the parties concerned to work out an action plan aimed to prevent a recurrence of such deadly incidents.

　関係者との話し合いを経てまとめられたILOと政府・労働者・使用者の共同声明は、４月２４日のビル崩壊事故だけでなく、昨年１１月に発生したタズリーン・ファッションズ社および今年１月のスマート・エクスポーツ・ガーメンツ社の両衣料工場火災についても、再発予防に向けた行動計画策定の必要性について合意したと述べている。

 The statement mentioned the following short- and medium-term measures to be included in the action plan:

行動計画が焦点重視すべき短・中期的な措置は以下の通りである。

 *Submit to (Bangladesh) parliament a labor law reform package that considers inputs of the tripartite partners and that would improve protection, in law and practice, for the fundamental rights to freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, as well as occupational safety and health.

・結社の自由及び団体交渉権といった基本的な権利の保護や労働安全衛生の改善等に向けた労働法改革包括法案を提出すること

 *Assess by the end of 2013 the structural building safety and fire safety of all active export-oriented ready-made garment (RMG) factories in Bangladesh, and initiate remedial actions including relocation of unsafe factories. The tripartite partners call on the ILO to assist in the mobilization of the technical and financial resources required to undertake the assessment.

・現役の全ての輸出向け既製服工場の建物の構造的安全性及び火災に対する安全性の評価を年内に終了させ、安全でない工場の移転などの是正措置に着手すること

 *The tripartite partners call on the ILO to launch a skills and training program for the workers who sustained injuries in the recent tragic events at Tazreen Fashions, Smart Export Garments and Rana Plaza that resulted in disability. In addition, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BKMEA) are to redeploy the RMG workers that were rendered unemployed as well as rehabilitated workers as was emphasized by the prime minister of Bangladesh.

・最近発生した悲劇的な出来事の結果として障害が残った負傷労働者に対する技能・訓練計画の開始をＩＬＯに求め、失業した労働者やリハビリを終えた労働者の移動・配置転換を図ること

 *Recruit, within six months, 200 additional inspectors by the Government and ensure that the Department of the Chief Inspector of Factories and Establishments will have been upgraded to a Directorate with an annual regular budget allocation adequate to enable (i) the recruitment of a minimum of 800 inspectors and (ii) the development of the infrastructure required for their proper functioning.

・半年以内に200人の監督官を追加採用した上で、工場・事業所主任監督官局を総局に格上げし、その適切な機能のための基盤構築・人員確保に十分な年間通常予算を割り当てること

 *Implement, in full, the National Tripartite Plan of Action on Fire Safety in the RMG Industry in Bangladesh, and extend its scope to include structural integrity of buildings to improve health, occupational and structural safety and other vulnerable sectors, to be identified in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

・既製服産業における火災に対する安全性に関する政労使国家行動計画の完全実施とその対象範囲の拡大

 *The tripartite partners call upon the Better Work Joint Management Program by the ILO and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to meet immediately after the adoption of the labor law, assuming the law reform package adopted would constitute improved protection, in law and practice, for the fundamental rights to freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, as well as occupational safety and health and progress on trade union registration would continue.

・労働法成立後ただちに、ベターワーク（より良い仕事）計画を共同で運営するＩＬＯと国際金融公社（ＩＦＣ）が会合を持つこと

 Serious international problems are posed by the inferior labor environment and labor conditions not only in Bangladesh but also China and developing countries in Southeast Asia.Protection of fundamental rights, such as the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, is urgently needed in order to allow workers in those countries to work under better environment and conditions.

　バングラデシュの事故、火災の件に限らず、中国や東南アジアをはじめとする発展途上国の工場の劣悪な労働環境や労働条件は国際的な問題となっている。これら途上国の労働者が少しでも良い環境、条件で働くには、結社の自由や団体交渉権といった基本的権利の保護は極めて重要だ。

(By Kento Isogai)

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