A weekly round up of articles about employment, the labour market, skills training and workforce development. This week we focus on news from The Daily Star for the week ending 15th October 2015.
This week in the Bangladesh English Press…
Progress is made on factory safety upgrades. Garments businesses assess competition from Vietnam. World Bank President applauds Bangladeshi women. And labour migration remains challenging.
The Daily Star noted H&M’s assessment of factory safety. The Swedish retailer says 60 per cent of the work required to meet safety standards has been completed. This work was identified by Accord and Alliance following the Rana Plaza collapse and the fire at Tasreen Fashions in 2013. Accord and Alliance are foreign inspection agencies that review safety in Bangladesh’s factories.
Wages will be raised for workers in Cambodia’s garments factories reports The Daily Star. The monthly minimum wage will be 140 dollars from next year. Although less than unions proposed the Labour Ministry says the figure is an acceptable compromise.
Within a decade there could be as many working women as men in Bangladesh.
But business owners fear that Cambodia will be less competitive than Vietnam. Vietnam’s exports to the USA will be tariff free if the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement becomes law. As we know from last week Bangladeshi entrepreneurs feel the same about Vietnam.
Women Key to Productivity and Growth
Jim Yong Kim says Bangladesh has shown how getting women into work can spur economic growth. The Daily Star reported on the meeting of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Lima earlier this month.
Malaysia wants to recruit one and a half million Bangladeshis over the next three years.
Within a decade there could be as many working women as men in Bangladesh. Women have taken up opportunities in agricultural employment and in the garments industry. Garments employs over four million people most of whom are women.
Productivity in garments and leather sectors were discussed during a roundtable. The roundtable was organised by the Foreign Trade Association where foreign experts and local business leaders spoke.
Labour Migrants Return with Skills
Labour migration to Malaysia has a troubled history. And many are skeptical about the appointment of a new Malaysian agency says The Daily Star. This agency will implement the Bangladeshi Workers Management System for the Malaysian Government. Malaysia wants to recruit one and a half million Bangladeshis over the next three years. There are about 600,000 workers in Malaysia already.
The Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) launched a Web site this week. The site details the skills and experience of returned migrant workers. A quick look at the site shows returnees from the Middle East, Europe, Australia and Malaysia. Potential employers could search the database to find qualified people offering skills learned while overseas.