On August 30th, IndustriALL convened a pivotal round table meeting in Bangladesh, uniting government officials, shipbreaking yard operators, and local unions to strategize the way forward following the country’s recent ratification of the Hong Kong Convention.
In a significant development, Bangladesh and Liberia officially ratified the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC) back in June 2023, meeting the prerequisites for its enforcement by June 2025. Post-enforcement, dismantling ships in non-compliant yards will be deemed illegal under international law.
This ratification represents a major triumph for IndustriALL, an organization that has tirelessly advocated for shipbreaking reform since 2010. South Asia’s shipbreaking yards have long suffered from a tarnished reputation marked by worker fatalities and environmental degradation, issues that the HKC aims to rectify by instituting stringent standards for ship recycling.
Bangladesh’s shipyards are currently undergoing extensive renovations to meet these new international benchmarks, supported by the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) SENSREC project.
Kan Matsuzaki, assistant general secretary of IndustriALL, emphasized the need for simultaneous upgrades in both physical and social infrastructure in Bangladesh, calling for a just transition toward sustainable ship recycling achieved through constructive social dialogue. This entails yard owners recognizing unions, negotiating collective agreements, establishing joint health and safety committees, and actively engaging in discussions with government and unions.
The round table meeting saw the participation of representatives from Bangladesh’s ministries of industries, labor and employment, and the environment, as well as district government officials. Employers were represented by the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA), while unions were represented by IndustriALL’s two sector-affiliated bodies, the Bangladesh Metalworkers’ Federation (BMF) and the Bangladesh Metal, Chemical, Garments, & Tailors Workers Federation (BMCGTWF).
Mohammed Mominur Rashid of the Ministry of Industries, who played a pivotal role in driving the ratification, stressed that shipbreaking had cast a shadow on Bangladesh’s reputation, leading the country to ratify the HKC out of a sense of historic responsibility to transform the industry, safeguard workers’ lives and the environment, and forge a brighter future.
Mohamed Zahuril Islam, a representative of BSBRA and managing director of the PHP shipyard, expressed satisfaction with the ratification, positioning Bangladesh as a global leader. He highlighted the need to dismantle mistrust between unions and employers and build bridges, underscoring the positive role unions can play in enhancing business prospects.
Both Rashid and Islam voiced concerns about potential job losses resulting from the mechanization associated with yard upgrades. The meeting underscored the importance of a Just Transition, facilitated by a social dialogue process to navigate the industry through a period of profound transformation.
The participants engaged in candid discussions about the challenges each group faces, with local unions raising issues such as low wages, anti-union activities, and the absence of ambulance services, among others. The meeting also drew insights from the Indian example, where the ILO is conducting a series of social dialogue workshops.
In a noteworthy development, on August 29th, a union delegation visited the PHP ship recycling yard, the first in Bangladesh to achieve HKC compliance. Workers at the yard receive top-notch protective equipment (PPE), and ships are methodically recycled according to approved plans. PHP has on-site facilities for the safe disposal of waste, including asbestos, oil, and bilge water. The workplace features an on-site clinic where workers undergo regular health checks. Currently, four yards in Bangladesh have achieved HKC compliance, with several more expected to follow suit this year. All yards are mandated to meet these standards by June 2025.
credits: IndustriAll Global Union
