Bangladesh: long struggle wins collective bargaining rights for workers at transnational confectioner Perfetti Van Melle

After 160 days of struggling for recognition and overcoming management efforts to undermine the right to freedom of association, the union of workers at Dutch-based global confectioner Perfetti Van Melle was granted legal collective bargaining status on February 17.

Workers and their union representatives came under sustained management pressure after a large majority of workers at the company's Gazipur factory formed the Perfetti Van Melle BD Pvt. Ltd. Employees' Union and applied for legal registration of their organization on November 11 last year. With strong support from the IUF in the region and internationally, the union secured legal registration on January 13 and continued the fight for collective bargaining rights.

The union is now preparing to bargain a first ever collective agreement for workers at the factory, and has warmly thanked all those who supported them in their long, tough struggle.