US senators seek Bangladesh action on labour rights

An influential Democratic senator is calling for the Obama administration to consider suspending Bangladesh's duty-free privileges unless it takes significant action to improve labour conditions following the global garment industry's worst accident.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Robert Menendez was addressing a hearing today on labour rights in the South Asian nation, six weeks after the Rana Plaza collapse in Dhaka that killed 1,127 people.
The US government will decide by end June whether to withdraw or limit trade privileges. It covers just a fraction of Bangladesh's US exports but Menendez said suspension would send a strong signal.
Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake said the US hopes Bangladesh's parliament will amend its labour law to address worker safety and freedom of assembly before the end of the month.