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The two legally-binding initiatives to ensure safe work places for readymade garment factory workers are leaving Bangladesh.
Published : 19 Oct 2017, 10:12 PM
The Alliance for Workers Safety is winding up operations in the country within the deadline – May 31, 2018 – while Accord on Fire and Building Safety has been given six more months to close operations.
The accord was given the cut-off time at a meeting of International Labour Organization, IndustriAll and Uni Global representatives with two ministers, and top officials of the BGMEA and FBCCI.
Accord and Alliance were formed after the deaths of over 1,100 workers in the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse raised concerns among the buyer countries over workplace safety in Bangladesh.
After the meeting, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told reporters: "According to the deals with us, Accord and Alliance will work in Bangladesh until May 31, 2018."
"We, the government, BGMEA and ILO, sat today and decided that they would start preparations for leaving within the fixed time," he said.
"There may be some delay in the handover. Accord may need an interim period of six months. It will be known as 'Transitional Accord' in this period."
Tofail said Alliance had informed the government about its plan to leave Bangladesh by the deadline.
"They will not continue. They have completed their work. Accord has also completed 80 percent of its job. I hope they will be able to finish the rest within the next seven months," he said.
Accord wanted to continue operations for three more years and signed a new agreement in June this year.
Bangladesh's garment factory owners have objected to the new agreement – a position that enjoys government backing.
This Aug 1 2017 file photo shows a procession of Jago Bangladesh Garments Shramic Federation against the 'closure of garment factories in the name of establishing safety by Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety'.
The commerce minister said the labour ministry's Remediation Coordination Cell will continue the job of accord and alliance when they leave.
"Accord and Alliance have inspected factories. Now we have achieved skills. We hope they will return from our country with honour and we will always remember them," Tofail said.
He said 70 'green factories' were already set up in Bangladesh and 280 more would be built.
"Four years and five months have passed after the Rana Plaza collapse. No accident has occurred since then. Awareness and care by our investors have satisfied the international brands and trade unions," he said.
Tofail added the leaders of some trade unions do not actually work in any factory, but pass complaints to the ILO.
"We've agreed today that they would take step after checking the complaints through the labour ministry."
State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu, BGMEA President Siddiqur Rahman, FBCCI President Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, among others, were present at the meeting.
