This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

090054Z Feb 06

UNCLAS DHAKA 000683 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB ETRD PGOV BG
SUBJECT: IMPLEMENTATION OF WRWC EPZ LAW PRESSES ON 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) The Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority 
(BEPZA) continues to press ahead in implementing the EPZ 
Workers Association and Industrial Relations Act, 2004 (the 
EPZ Law).  BEPZA's Savar Export Processing Zone General 
Manager Kamal Ahkter told laboff that by the beginning of 
February, all 500 WRWC members in his EPZ will be trained in 
their responsibilities as Worker Representation and Welfare 
Committee (WRWC) members and chair/convenors, adding that 
Chittagong's EPZ, with more factories, will conclude their 
training by the end of April. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Savar EPZ's training program design consists of 
four hours of lecture, followed by question and answers.  The 
listed sessions consisted of: 
 
--40 minutes on the rights and responsibilities of WRWC 
members in light of the new law; 
--40 minutes on industrial relations, working conditions, and 
health and safety issues; 
--40 minutes on grievance procedures, and prevention and 
effects of industrial disputes; 
--20 minutes on "the social dialogue process"; and 
--40 minutes on BEPZA instructions 1 and 2. 
 
Laboff observed one training session attended by 30 WRWC 
members. A BEPZA labor attorney lectured on the first three 
subject for one and one/half hours, before being replaced by 
BEPZA's security chief on the remaining sessions. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Ahkter told laboff that Savar EPZ's next phase, 
starting in late February, will be to train 500 mid-level 
managers, such as personnel and human resources managers, on 
their tasks in implementing the 2004 law, with the third 
tranche of training aimed at investors, and the fourth 
tranche aimed at 200 top managers. Ahkter said that they 
trained the 500 WRWC members in three months time, and 
expected to complete all four trances of the training by 
mid-2007. 
 
¶4. (SBU) When asked how this fits with the EPZ law, which 
calls for Worker Association elections starting in November 
2006, Kamal sidestepped the question by focusing on the 
problems BEPZA faces.  He said that mid-level managers, who 
are Bangladeshi, do not want to sit down with the WRWC, as 
they consider the workers below them.  He added that the 
mid-level managers have an "ego problem."  He said the 
typical attitude of a mid-level manager is "why do I have to 
sit down with a known 'troublemaker?'"  As for top managers, 
Ahkter said that the international managers do not stay long 
and do not take the time to learn the culture and the 
workers.  He would like to break the ice and put the 
mid-level managers, top managers and WRWC members together, 
but it takes people out of production. 
 
¶5. (SBU) General Manager Ahkter recently sat down with one 
factory's WRWC to discuss work issues.  He listened to their 
issues, and noted to laboff that they all seemed reasonable. 
When asked why the WRWC was not talking directly to 
management, Ahkter said that this factory held four of the 
required manager-WRWC monthly meetings since February 2005, 
but the manager no longer wanted to have such meetings. 
Ahkter said that he felt obliged to mediate the situation. 
Asked how he thought the implementation of the EPZ law was 
doing, he replied that more training in labor rights is 
needed for everyone.  "There is not enough, we actually need 
a permanent institute," he said.  Asked if outside assistance 
could be used, he said, "We can provide better information 
than outside people." 
CHAMMAS