ACT Bangladesh Interim Dispute Resolution Mechanism on workers’ rights to Freedom of Association and due payment of wages and benefits.

ACT has been actively engaged in Bangladesh since 2020, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Through  collaborative efforts, working closely with the BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters  Association), trade union representatives and ACT members, a series of agreements have been reached to address  critical issues such as fabric liabilities, collective information gathering on wage and severance payments and the  establishment of an Interim Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM).

Since its launch in November 2020, the Interim DRM has played a vital role in addressing grievances related to  workers’ rights, particularly pertaining Freedom of Association, retrenchment and due payment of wages and  benefits. A total of 147 cases have been received since its inception, with 119  cases (80.9%) deemed eligible and  processed. 

Among the processed cases, 50.4% involved disputes over wages and benefits. 43.7% were related to retrenchment and 5.9% related to disputes over Freedom of Association rights.

The Interim DRM has been funded since December 2022 by the Initiative for Global Solidarity (IGS) implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supportedby the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).