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Gesthuizen: Clothing factories in Bangladesh must show rapid safety improvements

30 January 2014

Gesthuizen: Clothing factories in Bangladesh must show rapid safety improvements

SP Member of Parliament Sharon Gesthuizen has asked Development Minister Lilianne Ploumen to comment on the disappointing results of recent agreements aimed at improving safety in clothing factories in Bangladesh.

Sharon GesthuizenThe Bangladeshi government, after several factories had collapsed, promised that additional labour inspectors would quickly be appointed. Yet this has not happened. ‘It’s awful to hear that to date not a single extra inspector has been taken on,’ says Gesthuizen. ‘Many workers in the factories work under appalling conditions. Inspections must take place and quickly, so that these abuses can be tackled.’

The Dutch government has to date made €1m available for additional labour inspectors and other means of improving working conditions in the factories. Gesthuizen appreciates that the political unrest and the elections in the country could account for any delay in the appointment of inspectors. ‘Of course circumstances in Bangladesh are not ideal from the point of view of recording major results in the short term,’ she says, ‘but I still find it very disappointing that nothing at all has yet been achieved. So I would also like the minister to call the Bangladeshi government to account. Fortunately, the Dutch government makes money available for addressing the problems in the clothing factories. That money must therefore be well-spent, and that’s why I’m asking the minister to let me know what the million euros has to date been spent on.’

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