With President Mohammed Shahabuddin sending a labour law amendment back to parliament on Monday for reconsideration, the commerce ministry yesterday informed of having postponed its upcoming meeting on the latest labour rights reforms with five diplomats "for the Christmas holiday".

The president objected to a provision in the Bangladesh Labour (amendment) Bill, 2023, that increased four times the penalty for workers involved in "unfair labour practices". The president's consent is mandatory for a bill to become a law.

The December 19 meeting was to be between the three secretaries to the commerce, labour and foreign affairs ministries and five diplomats from the US, EU, Germany, Canada, and Netherlands and a representative of International Labour Organization (ILO).

Coined "three plus five plus one", the meeting's members had first come together after the Rana Plaza collapse to monitor Bangladesh's progress in inspections and remediation of factory buildings in compliance with the Accord and Alliance, two foreign inspection agencies.

"We were ready to hold the meeting but the diplomats ultimately said they will not be available because of the Christmas holiday," Senior Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh told The Daily Star over the phone.

The meeting may be held in January after the general election, he added.

Ghosh also said his ministry has plans to write to United States Trade Representative about the country's progress in ensuring labour rights and improvement working conditions in response to a concern raised by Bangladesh's mission in Washington.

"So, there is no reason for the US to impose trade restrictions on Bangladesh," he told a media briefing in his office on Monday.

Rather, concerns raised by the US have been taken into account for improving labour rights further, he added.

The US wants provisions to be changed such that a factory union is allowed if just 10 percent of the workers agree to it, whereas currently the prerequisite is 15 percent, he had said.

The US also wants the words "Workers' Welfare Association" to be replaced with trade unions when referred to in laws for factories located inside estates of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority, he said.

As per the government's commitments made in a National Action Plan adopted in 2021, the government will amend it by June 2026 in consultation with foreign investors and other stakeholders, the senior secretary said.