Cablegate: Bepza Plans for Worker Association Elections

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OO RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHHM RUEHJO RUEHMA
DE RUEHKA #6346 2920848
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 190848Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2228
INFO RUCNCLC/CHILD LABOR COLLECTIVE
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0037
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 7617
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1327
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 8766
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1545
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9416
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0255
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1068
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0081
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

UNCLAS DHAKA 006346

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ETRD PGOV BG
SUBJECT: BEPZA PLANS FOR WORKER ASSOCIATION ELECTIONS

1. (SBU) Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA)
Deputy Secretary Morshed Alam discussed with laboff BEPZA's
plans to prepare for Workers Association (WA) elections.
Alam confirmed BEPZA will announce its plans to factory
managers, and BEPZA counselors and administrators before the
end of October. The counselors, in turn, would provide
instruction to workers on the process for petitioning BEPZA's
Executive Chairman for the formation of a Workers
Association. He outlined BEPZA's procedures to ensure
transparency in the petition process, as well as in the
ensuing referendum.

2. (SBU) The Export Processing Zone (EPZ) Workers Association
and Industrial Relations Act, 2004 (the EPZ Law) brought
Bangladesh into compliance with ILO's Declaration of
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. After an interim
period where workers in the EPZ elected Worker Representation
and Welfare Committees (WRWC), effective November 1, 2006,
workers will be able to petition BEPZA to form Workers
Assocations, to represent workers and bargain collectively on
their behalf, and to elect officers. The EPZ law also
requires the GOB to establish labor tribunals.

3. (SBU) Alam was concerned about the law's tight time
frames, giving as an example the five day requirement to hold
a referendum upon receipt of petitions from 30 percent of
workers who demand the formation of a WA. He said that if
all factories' workers demand a referendum at once, it would
not be possible to hold all referenda within the mandated
timeframe. Citing the Chittagong EPZ as an example, he said
that BEPZA only has a staff of 28 counselors and there are
121 factories. "It is not possible to hold a great number of
elections at the same time given our level of staff."

4. (SBU) Alam said that on October 12, BEPZA sent a letter to
the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) asking for the appointment
of two Labor Tribunal Judges and one Labor Appellate Judge.
He was optimistic about these appointments, saying that the
PM's Governing Board has already approved the appointments
and expects everything to be finalized before the current
government leaves power at the end of the month.

5. (SBU) Asked if he anticipated any complications, Alam
noted the enormity of the task at hand, adding that this is
the first time BEPZA will be accepting petitions, holding
referenda, forming Worker Association (WA) constitution
drafting committees, registering Worker Associations, and
holding WA Executive Council elections. "We have never done
so much before," he said.

6. (SBU) In response to Alam's concerns, laboff suggested
that Solidarity Center is in an excellent position to provide
technical assistance that might facilitate the process. Alam
said he would pass the offer on to recently appointed BEPZA
Executive Chairman Yussuf.
PASI

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