President of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Michael Sommer on Tuesday called for more rights for trade unions as a necessary precondition for establishing true social partnership among employers, workers, and the government. Sommer, also the Chairman of Confederation of German Trade Unions (CGTU), made the call while addressing a multi-stakeholder round table arranged by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) and Friedrich Ebert Foundation in the city. He also stressed the importance of involving trade unions as equal partners in international inspection initiatives. Sommer arrived here on Sunday to learn about the current situation and the perspectives of the labour movement in Bangladesh. With the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse coming up soon, he saw the progress on post-Rana Plaza initiatives like implementing The Accord on Fire and Building Safety 2013, an agreement between domestic and international trade unions and international brands and retailers. He visited a couple of textile factories to get an impression of the conditions under which garments for international buyers are produced. Germany imports 17 percent of all readymade garments produced in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the ITUC President met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the State Minister for Labour and Employment M Mujibul Haque Chunnu. Sommer, who has been Germany’s foremost trade union leader since 2002, also met with Nobel Laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus and the founder of BRAC Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, and held meetings with stakeholders in the RMG supply chain. He also inaugurated the new Bangladesh office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, which represents the values of the German Social Democratic Party. Sommer is schedule to leave Dhaka on Wednesday. The ITUC is a global platform currently representing 176 million workers in 161 countries. – UNB
