The Accord has geared up efforts to include local apparel sector representatives in its advisory board for successfully executing its long-term initiatives mainly for the ongoing RMG factory inspection programmes, sources said.
Leaders of the apex apparel bodies-BGMEA and BKMEA-are still firm not to join the Accord's Advisory Board (AB), as they believe that the Board is not an effective decision-making one.
Rather, the leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) prefer joining the Accord's Steering Committee (SC), the sector insiders said.
Keeping this in view, members of the Accord Advisory Board during its first meeting, held last month in Dhaka, stressed the need for 'redouble efforts' to secure active membership of BGMEA and BKMEA in the Board.
"Secure the active membership of BGMEA and BKMEA as important national elements to the permanent success of the Accord," stated the Accord AB meeting report, published on its website early this month.
Members also informed the meeting that the support of BGMEA and BKMEA is needed to help ensure payment of wages during operation suspension and critical situations.
Moreover, the Accord SC's meeting with the ILO that was also held last month stressed the need for ownership from BGMEA and BKMEA especially regarding communications issues surrounding 'critical cases' following the inspection.
The SC in a separate meeting discussed the AB meeting's outcome and agreed that the involvement of both BGMEA and BKMEA is essential to ensure the credibility of the processes.
"Privately and in various forums, we have repeatedly requested BGMEA to be in our Advisory Board, but it is yet to accept the request," Accord Executive Director Rob Wayss said.
"We consider BGMEA and BKMEA as key constituents for making and keeping Bangladeshi RMG factories safe, and we value our work with them. We will continue trying to convince them," he added.
However, BGMEA President Md Atiqul Islam told the FE recently that they are ready to join the SC, but reiterated the association's position not to join the AB, saying the former is the decision making panel.
"It will be easy to find out solutions to the emerging problems, especially following the inspection, if there is direct participation from our side," he explained.
BGMEA vice president Shahidullah Azim said they strongly opposed the Accord's proposal when it sought the associations' nomination for the Advisory Board.
"There is lack of harmonization among the initiatives taken by different groups. The measurement of concrete strength is yet to be achieved, though the Alliance and BUET have reached a consensus in this regard."
"If we were in the decision making panel, the problems could easily be solved through direct negotiation," he further said.
However, the BGMEA leaders said they would extend all possible assistance to help implement the Accord plan by staying outside any committee, but regretted the proposal of being included in the advisory committee only.
The next AB meeting is expected to be held on July.
When asked, Roy Ramesh Chandra, secretary general of IndustriAll Bangladesh Council and a member of the SC, said: "it would be better, in principle, to have apex apparel bodies' representation in the Steering Committee."
As the Accord is the agreement between the global businesses and trade unions, the apparel sector leaders need to communicate and convince their business counterparts in this regard, he added.