Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a platform of 26 North American retailers and brands, is set to start the remediation of factories to bring them into compliance with strict safety standards after completing first one year of its progarmme.
“As we move forward with the challenging task of remediation, we continue to recognize that the responsibility for safe factories is one shared by all stakeholders. Together with garment factory owners, trade unions, the international development community and the government of Bangladesh, we are working to achieve the kind of revolutionary change that makes a difference to millions of individual workers, throughout the entire garment sector and to the nation as a whole,” EllenTauscher, former US Congresswoman and Alliance independent chair, said in its first annual report, released on July 22.
The platform inspected 587 factories, of which 10 factories fully or partly closed by the government following the Alliance inspections, according to the report.
It also formed a US$100 million fund to disburse among the garment owners for building renovations. Its members provided basic fire safety training to more than one million workers and managers and began offering financial compensation to the workers displaced by factory closures for up to four months.
In partnership with factory owners, the Alliance has already paid wages to more than 1,000 workers displaced by factory remediation efforts.
“Twelve months later, significant progress has been achieved and the critical phase of factory remediation has begun. Our effort has been based on forging partnerships with workers, government, civil society, factory owners and so many others—and sharing the responsibility, knowledge and tools needed to create safer workplaces in the RMG sector,” the report said.
It also said: “As we enter year two, the hard work of sourcing the right equipment, installing necessary safety upgrades and complying with detailed corrective action plans will consume the energies of inspectors, brands, factory owners and engineers.”
After the Tazreen Fashions fire and the Rana Plaza collapse, more than 150 retailers and brands, mostly European, signed the legally binding Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and the US-based retailers and brands joined the Alliance to strengthen safety practices in the apparel sector in Bangladesh.
BBN/SSR/AD-23July14-9:23 pm (BST)
