Garment industry in Bangladesh

125 Labour Inspectors Received Training by the ITC-ILO

Labour Inspectors from the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments attended a three week long training programme by the ILO aimed at strengthening capacity of the labour inspection system of Bangladesh

Press release | 26 June 2014
DHAKA –Labour Inspectors of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments (DIFE) were awarded certificates at an event to mark the successful completion of three week long induction training on inspection and occupational Safety and health. The Improving Working Conditions in the Ready Made Garment (RMG) Programme of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the International Training Centre (ITC) of ILO has been carrying out the Labour Inspection training for the current and newly recruited labour inspectors of the DIFE.
 
A total of 125 labour Inspectors (114 male and 11 female inspectors) were trained in three training sessions starting from 8 June 2014. The training includes a range of different topics such as introduction on labour inspection and occupational safety and health (OSH), labour inspection strategies, OSH management, carrying out labour inspection visit, accident investigation etc. The training includes lectures, role plays and factory visits, facilitated by several trainers from ITC Turin, Italy.

“The Government of Bangladesh highly appreciates the initiative of providing training to the Labour Inspectors of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments. This will leave a lasting impact in enhancing capacity of the inspectors and inspection system in Bangladesh,” said Mr. Mikail Shipar, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment who handed over the certificates to the newly trained inspectors.
 
The Improving Working Conditions in the RMG Programme aims to support the Government of Bangladesh to significantly improve the capacity of its inspection system through gradual improvement of the legislative and policy framework, equipping and training of the current and newly recruited inspectors, support to improving the organizational structure and the business processes of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments (DIFE).

Reiterating ILO’s commitment to strengthen the labour inspection system, the ILO Country Director for Bangladesh, Mr Srinivas B. Reddy said, “Developing the capacity of Labour Inspectors is critical for ensuring safety and rights of the workers. This is an important measure to sustain the results of the initiatives launched by the national and international stakeholders including Accord and Alliance to undertake follow up monitoring measures after the initial round of inspections. We are glad to assist Government of Bangladesh in this important process of change.”
 
The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and the ILO is implementing a three-and-a-half year long initiative aimed at improving working conditions in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh. This USD $24.21 million programmeis funded by Canada, Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Ms Janet Durno, Charge d Affairs, Canadian High Commission in Dhaka said, “We are here today to celebrate the successful completion of the induction training by 125 labour inspectors – and I am pleased to note that this includes 11 women. I congratulate all of the labour inspectors on successfully completing this training and I know you will make an outstanding contribution towards ensuring safe working conditions in the RMG sector which is a source of employment for so many Bangladeshi women and men, and which makes such an important contribution to Bangladesh’s economy.”

“The UK, together with Canada and the Netherlands, is supporting the development of an efficient, credible and transparent cadre of labour inspectors. Having properly trained labour inspectors in place is a critical part of the equation when ensuring good working conditions and the safety of workers in garment factories.Progress has been made in addressing the many challenges facing the garment industry through concrete commitments by manufacturers, brands, development partners and government. However, significant challenges remain in implementing these commitments and addressing the underlying causes of the Rana Plaza disaster. The priority is now to maintain momentum and to push for further progress,” said Mr Paul Whittingham, Deputy Country Representative of DFID in Bangladesh.

Mr Syed Ahmed, Inspector General, DIFE and Ms Bente Sorensen, Training Coordinator of ITC- ILO, were among the dignitaries and representatives of various organizations present at the Certificate Awarding Ceremony.

 

For more information contact please contact:

Abdullah Al Muyid, email:muyid@ilo.org mob: +88 01713 068384