Bangladesh: Major ILO programme aims to make garment industry safer
DHAKA (ILO NEWS) - The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and the International Labour Organization have launched a major initiative – including a new Better Work programme -aimed at improving working conditions in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh.
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.
It has been developed in collaboration with government, employers’ and workers’ representatives, in response to a number of industrial accidents in the sector, including the Rana Plaza building collapse in April, in which more than 1,100 workers died.
“The ready-made garment industry is vital to Bangladesh’s economic growth but it needs to be safe and sustainable,” said ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder. “This programme supports the National Tripartite Plan of Action on fire safety and structural integrity and will lead to lasting improvements in working conditions for the tens of thousands of garment factory workers in Bangladesh.”
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.
It has been developed in collaboration with government, employers’ and workers’ representatives, in response to a number of industrial accidents in the sector, including the Rana Plaza building collapse in April, in which more than 1,100 workers died.
“The ready-made garment industry is vital to Bangladesh’s economic growth but it needs to be safe and sustainable,” said ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder. “This programme supports the National Tripartite Plan of Action on fire safety and structural integrity and will lead to lasting improvements in working conditions for the tens of thousands of garment factory workers in Bangladesh.”
Photo-story
The garment industry in Bangladesh
In 20 years Bangladesh has become one of the main exporters of ready-made garments. In 2011 Bangladesh accounted for 4.8 per cent of global apparel exports, versus only 0.6 per cent in 1990. Over the same period, total exports increased from around 5 per cent of Bangladesh's GDP in 1990 to over 23 per cent in 2011.
© Michaël Garrigues / Flickr
As the garment industry expanded, employment in manufacturing doubled from 12 per cent in 1985–86 to 24 per cent in 2010.
© Munir Uz Zaman / AFP
The share of ready-made garments in Bangladeshi exports has more than doubled, reaching 80 per cent in 2008–09. The destination is mainly the United States and key Eurozone countries. In 2010–11, the Eurozone alone accounted for more than half of the total Bangladeshi exports, followed by the United States (28.9 per cent), the United Kingdom (11.4 per cent) and Canada (5.5 per cent).
© Munir Uz Zaman / AFP
The growth in the last two decades has created jobs, but with tough working conditions and low pay, including in export-related industries. The incidence of informal employment increased from 75 per cent in 1999/00 to 87 per cent in 2010 – the highest in the region.
© ILO
Bangladeshi workers earn some of the lowest wages in the world. As of August 2013, the monthly minimum wage for entry-level workers in Bangladesh’s garment sector was US$ 39 per month – about half of the lowest applicable rate in other major garment-exporting countries, such as Cambodia (US$80), India (US$71), Pakistan (US$79), Sri Lanka (US$73) and Viet Nam (US$78).
© Munir Uz Zaman / AFP
To keep up with the global competition the country has tried to reduce the formalities to start and operate a business. In fact, it can take longer to obtain an electrical connection than to get an approval for a factory plant.
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24 November 2012: Tazreen Fashion Factory caught fire, killing at least 112 garment workers. In response to the Tazreen fire, a National Tripartite Plan of Action on Fire Safety is developped in the ready-made garment (RMG) Sector of Bangladesh. The ILO assists in the implementation and coordination of the plan which outlines three areas of work: 1) Policy and legislation, 2) Administrative, 3) Practical activities.
© STR / AFP
24 April 2013: Rana Plaza building collapses, killing more than 1,100 workers and injured 2,500. One of the worst industrial disasters on record.
© Rijans / Flickr
Shortly after the Rana Plaza collapse, a High-Level ILO Mission was sent to Bangladesh, led by Deputy Director General for Field Operations and Partnerships, Mr. Gilbert Houngbo. The mission engaged with the tripartite partners (workers, employers, government) and other stakeholders to identify what needs to be done to prevent further tragedies from happening.
© Munir Uz Zaman / AFP
Following the ILO mission, the social partners issued a joint statement identifying key activities to be implemented in areas such as the assessment of the structural integrity of RMG factory buildings; strengthening labour inspection; worker and management training and awareness of OSH and worker rights; rehabilitation and skills training of disabled workers; and possible establishment of a Better Work programme.
© ILO / Sarah-Jane Saltmarsh
In May 2013, two global unions (Industriall, UNI Global), some Bangladeshi unions and international brands and retailers (now totalling 100), including H&M and Inditex, sign an Accord: A five-year programme under which company signatories commit to ensure the implementation of health and safety measures. The ILO acts as neutral chair of the Accord, which is estimated to cover a combined supply chain of 1,500 factories.
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On 15 July 2013, the Government of Bangladesh adopts amendments to the Bangladesh Labour Act - the first step towards fulfilling the Government’s obligation to respect fully the fundamental rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining and to address the critical need to bolster occupational safety and health.
© Patrick Donovan / Flickr
8 October 2013: Fire at Aswad Composite Mills, North-East of Dhaka, kills at least 9 workers.
© STRDEL / AFP
Six months after the collapse of the Rana Plaza building, the ILO announces the launch of a three and a half year programme on improving working conditions in the RMG Sector and a new "Better Work" programme which will also provide advisory services to factories.
© Munir Uz Zaman / AFP
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| From Left to Right: Mr Gerben Sjoerd de Jong, H.E. Ambassador of the Netherlands in Bangladesh; Mr Abul Kalam Azad, Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD) GoB; Mr Srinivas Reddy, Director, ILO Country Office for Bangladesh; Mr Robert W. Gibson, H.E. the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh |
The United Kingdom and the Netherlands are jointly contributing US$15 million to the US$24.21 million programme. The ILO is mobilizing further resources.
Safety and rehabilitation
The RMG programme will provide technical support to building and fire safety assessments; strengthen and support labour, fire and building inspections; build occupational safety and health awareness, capacity and systems and provide rehabilitation and skills training for the victims of Rana Plaza and Tazreen Fashions, where 112 workers died in a fire in November 2012.“Rana Plaza and Tazreen became the symbols of what is wrong in the RMG sector. Now Bangladesh, supported by the international community, has the chance to get it right,” said Gerben Sjoerd de Jong, Ambassador of the Netherlands in Bangladesh.
“The Netherlands support this ILO programme because it contains all the crucial elements to make the garment sector safe and sustainable. For us this is a perfect example of using aid to promote responsible trade,” he added.
Sarah Cooke, head of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) in Bangladesh said, “The sustainability of the ready-made garment industry has a pivotal role to play in Bangladesh's continued social and economic development. This programme is a key part of the UK's approach to help ensure safe working conditions and improved productivity in the sector.”
It compliments other initiatives to improve safety in RMG factories such as the Sustainability Compact adopted by the European Union, Bangladesh Government and the United States, and supported by the ILO; the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, which comprises global unions, brands and retailers, and the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, which brings together North American retailers and brands.
This programme builds on ongoing ILO interventions and complements the Fire Safety, Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and Labour Relations initiatives funded by the US Department of Labor and the Kingdom of Norway.
Better Work
As part of the new programme, the ILO and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) also announced the launch of a Better Work programme in Bangladesh. This will complement the RMG programme by implementing factory-level activities to improve compliance with national labour laws and respect for international core labour standards, while promoting the competitiveness of participating factories.Better Work Bangladesh is a partnership with government, employers, workers, international buyers and other relevant stakeholders, to promote sustainable change in the ready-made garment sector by helping factories comply with labour laws and building the capacity for labour administration and industrial relations.
In the spirit of this partnership, the Government of Bangladesh and Better Work have agreed to link continuation of the programme to progress being made on specific commitments, as laid out in a “Framework for Continuous Improvement.” Such progress on the Framework will be reviewed annually by Better Work, in cooperation with the Government.
Key partners of the RMG project include, Ministry of Labour and Employment; Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Ministry of Home Affairs; National Tripartite Committee on Fire and Building Safety; Dhaka Development Authority (RAJUK); Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET); Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence; Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA); Bangladesh Knitwear Manufactures and Exporters Association (BKMEA); Bangladesh Employer’s Federation (BEF); National Coordination Committee for Worker’s Education (NCCWE); IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC).
Better Work Bangladesh will be funded by the governments of Switzerland and the United States, and through the RMG programme by the governments of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The Better Work global programme is funded by the governments of Australia, the Netherlands and Switzerland.