Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The recent collapse of a building in Dhaka that housed a number of garment factories was a tragedy resulting in the loss of more than 900 lives. Today we learned of a fire in another clothing factory in Dhaka in which at least eight people have lost their lives. We all share a sense of shock at these events and wish to extend our sympathies to all who lost family members and loved ones. The tragic events bring the issue of working conditions in factories in Bangladesh, particularly the lack of basic health and safety rules, into sharp relief. All those working in the garment or any other industry in Bangladesh, or any country, have a basic right to decent, safe and secure working conditions.

The Bangladesh fire and safety agreement referred to by the Deputy is an agreement between a number of trade unions, NGOs and multinational textile retailers. It is aimed at improving safety standards at production sites and encouraging those concerned to pay for such measures, in particular by establishing an independent inspection system and actively supporting the creation of health and safety committees in factories. This is a very worthwhile initiative that the European Parliament, in a resolution adopted on 17 January, welcomed. It called on all relevant textile brands to support it and I support that view. However, it is not an international agreement. It is for individual companies to decide whether they will participate in the agreement. The core right of decent working conditions is at the head of the mandate of the International Labour Organisation, ILO. Following the recent catastrophic building collapse in Bangladesh, the ILO sent a high-level mission to the country. The mission engaged with Government, employers and workers with a view to identifying what needs to be done to prevent any such future tragedies. The outcome of the mission was agreement on the need to develop an action plan focusing on short- and medium-term steps, including an assessment of the structural safety of all active export-oriented ready-made garment factories in Bangladesh and the full implementation of a national tripartite plan of action on fire safety in the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh.

As Bangladesh's largest trading partner, the European Union is very concerned about labour conditions, including health and safety, for workers in factories across the country. On 30 April, Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the Commissioner for Trade, Karel de Gucht, released a joint statement on the issue. In light of the recent building collapse, the European Union called on the Bangladeshi authorities to act immediately to ensure factories across the country comply with international labour standards, including ILO conventions. The EU is currently considering appropriate and positive action in a wide range of areas with the involvement of the Bangladeshi authorities to incentivise the responsible management of supply chains involving developing countries. The EU said it is ready and willing to assist the Bangladeshi authorities in any way it can to meet the required international standards. At the same time, the EU will continue to encourage European and international companies to promote better health and safety standards in garment factories in Bangladesh in line with internationally recognised corporate social responsibility guidelines. It is hoped the initiatives I refer to will ensure tragedies such as the recent building collapse and the factory fire in Bangladesh will not be repeated.

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