Staff Reporter :
The leaders of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Tuesday claimed that they made significant progress in improving work place safety and labour rights in the country’s apparel industry.
BGMEA member factories have been maintaining a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on these issues as per guidance of different buyers’ forums including Accord and Alliance.
The European and American buyer groups set some conditions for improving work place safety and workers’ rights after the collapse of Rana Plaza that killed more than 1100 workers.
The BGMEA leaders claimed their success at a press conference held in the city on Tuesday.
“We have taken several measures to ensure safe working conditions in the apparel units. These measures were enforced in line with the guidance of Accord and Alliance,” Siddique Rahman, President of BGMEA, told reporters in the briefing.
He said, the owners of garment factories had to spend huge amount to meet the conditions of the buyers.
“We have fulfilled buyers’ conditions. So they should give us fair prices for our products. They must look into the matter which is the integral part of the global value chain,” he said.
Just after the Rana Plaza collapse in April 2013, the Bangladesh government, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the European Union and the United States launched a joint initiative of ‘Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety in the Ready-Made Garment and Knitwear Industry in Bangladesh’.”We have transformed our industries into a new shape after the Rana Plaza collapse. And we have successfully completed the task with the help of government, buyers, ILO and labour leaders,” Siddique Rahman said.
The BGMEA leader also said that the government especially played a vital role in supporting their efforts in improving working conditions, labour rights and compliance.
“All these have painted a positive image of the sector. The buyers expressed their satisfaction for handling these critical issues successfully,” he noted.
Bangladesh is the world’s second largest clothing exporter after China. It exports lions share thereof to the European Union and the USA.
US’ imports of apparel from Bangladesh have increased by about 16 per cent from November 2014 to November 2015.
Clothing occupied 81.7 per cent of the country’s total exports last year.
