Chronology of recent events in the Bangladesh Ready Made Garment (RMG) sector

28 November 2013

24 November 2012A fire at Tazreen Fashions leads resulted in the deaths of 112 workers
15 January 2013A tripartite statement of commitment on fire safety in the work place in Bangladesh was adopted and signed after a tripartite meeting. The meeting was organized jointly by the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the ILO. In the statement the tripartite partners commit to the development of national plan of action on fire safety.
26 January 2013A fire at Smart Exports Garments resulted in the deaths of seven workers.
24 March 2013The National Tripartite Plan of Action on Fire Safety (NTPA) in the RMG Sector of Bangladesh is developed in response to the Tazreen fire. The NTPA outlines initiatives covering three areas: 1) Policy and legislation, 2) Administration, 3) Practical activities. It foresees the establishment of a National Tripartite Committee (NTC) to ensure and monitor implementation of the NTPA. The ILO accepts a formal request to assist in the implementation and coordination of the NTPA.
24 April 2013The Rana Plaza building collapse leads to the loss of 1,135 lives. Most of the victims were workers from the ready-made garment factories housed in the building.
1-4 May 2013A high-Level ILO mission headed by Deputy Director General Gilbert Houngbo visits Bangladesh to identify key areas for action. This results in the signing of a Joint Statement of the tripartite partners (Government, workers, employers), which builds upon the NTPA. The Joint Statement identifies key areas for action, such as the assessment of the structural integrity of RMG factory buildings, strengthening labour inspections, worker and management training and awareness of occupational safety and health and workers’ rights, rehabilitation and skills training of disabled workers, and the possible establishment of a Better Work programme.
13 May 2013Two global unions (IndustriALL, UNI Global) and international brands and retailers (currently more than 150) sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. This is a five-year programme under which companies commit to ensure the implementation of health and safety measures. The ILO acts as neutral Chair of the Accord, which is currently estimated to cover approximately 1,700 factories.
8 July 2013The EU, Bangladesh Government and ILO issue the Global Sustainability Compact to promote improved labour standards, the structural integrity of buildings and occupational safety and health, and responsible business conduct in the RMG and knitwear industry in Bangladesh. The Compact builds upon the NTPA and assigns an important coordination and monitoring role to the ILO.
10 July 2013The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety is launched by 26 North American retailers and brands. It is a five-year programme under which the companies commit to ensure the implementation of health and safety measures. The Alliance recognizes the importance of the NTAP and states it will support its implementation. The Alliance is reported to currently cover 686 factories.
15 July 2013The Government of Bangladesh adopts amendments to the Bangladesh Labour Act, the first step towards fulfilling the Government’s obligation to fully respect the fundamental rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining and to address the critical need to bolster occupational safety and health.
25 July 2013The NTPA merges with the Joint Statement to form the National Tripartite Plan of Action on Fire Safety and Structural Integrity in the RMG Sector of Bangladesh, without altering the content of either.
7 September 2013ILO brings together stakeholders in the readymade garments industry, including Accord and Alliance representatives, to begin work on the development of a coordinated approach to undertaking assessments between the three initiatives, including harmonisation of standards.
8 October 2013A fire at Aswad Composite Mills resulted in the deaths of seven workers.
22 October 2013ILO launched a US$24 million programme aimed at making Bangladesh garment industry safer. The three-and-a-half year initiative, ‘Improving Working Conditions in the Ready-Made Garment Sector’ - (RMGP) focuses on minimizing the threat of fire and building collapse in ready-made garment factories and on ensuring the rights and safety of workers.
24 October 2013Six-month anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse.
7 November 2013The ILO brings together technical experts (structural engineers, fire safety experts, etc.) from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) on behalf of the NTC, the Accord, and the Alliance. The experts agree on harmonized standards for undertaking structural integrity and fire safety assessments. These were subsequently submitted to the decision-making bodies of the respective organizations for review and formal endorsement.
21 November 2013The NTC endorsed Guidelines for Assessment of Structural Integrity and Fire and Safety, which include the harmonized standards developed by technical experts from the BUET, the Accord and the Alliance. The NTC also establishes a review mechanism to handle urgent safety issues in garment factories.
22 November 2013Led by engineers from BUET, assessments of the structural integrity and fire safety of RMG factory buildings officially commence, following a major breakthrough on harmonizing minimum standards for building assessments with Accord and the Alliance.
24 November 2013One-year anniversary of the fire at Tazreen Fashions.
15 January 2014The Government of Bangladesh upgraded the Chief Inspector of Factories and Establishments office to a Department, sanctioning 679 new staff positions in the Directorate, including 392 new inspectors. This is an important step towards the implementation of one of the commitments agreed by the Government in the National Tripartite Plan of Action on Fire Safety and Structural Integrity and the EU Sustainability Compact, issued on 8 July 2013.
22 January 2014Training of the first batch of the newly recruited Labour Inspectors started in Dhaka, focusing on capacity building.
18 March 2014The Rana Plaza Coordination Committee adopted the “ Rana Plaza Arrangement”. This is a comprehensive and independent framework, in line with international labour standards, that will provide much-needed help for loss of income and medical expenses for the victims of Rana Plaza and their dependents. The “Rana Plaza Arrangement” was agreed by all relevant national and international stakeholders, with the ILO acting as a neutral Chair.
April 2014As of 20th April 140 new Trade Unions in the RMG Sector have been registered with the Bangladesh Department of Labour (DoL).