Despite steps, problems remain with inspection, safety: Muhith

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FE Report The country's ready-made garment (RMG) sector saw a phenomenal growth over the last thirty years and some existing problems in the sector were the outcome of such growth momentum, Finance Minister AMA Muhit said Tuesday. "…Rapid growth of the apparel industry has given rise to various problems," the minister said while speaking at the launching ceremony of the joint initiative "Improving Working Conditions in the Ready-Made Garment Sector" at a city hotel. Terming some tragic accidents in RMG factories 'unacceptable', he said: "It must be admitted that despite taking different measures, still there remain some deficiencies in respect of factory inspection and enforcement of safety and welfare measures." The launching ceremony was also attended by Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Labour Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, ILO Deputy-Director General for Field Operations and Partnerships Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo and Country Director Srinivas B Reddy, Ambassador of the Netherlands in Bangladesh Gerben Sjoerd de Jong and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Winnington Gibson. The $ 24.21 million joint initiative includes the Better Work Programme of the government and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) aimed at improving working conditions in the country's RMG sector. The programme will provide technical support for building and fire safety assessments, strengthen and support labour, fire and building inspections, build occupational safety and health awareness, capacity and systems, and also provide rehabilitation and skill development training for the victims of disasters like the Rana Plaza collapse and the Tazreen Fashions fire. The finance minister also said: "The coordination of action by the industry and the government has also its pitfalls." "The government has acted as a facilitator with an eager helping hand toward the garment industry. Now we have been joined by the goodwill of the buyers of garments and our development partners in our effort to ensure safety and security of factories and security and welfare of the labourers," the finance minister said. Explaining the government's initiatives to ensure safety, he stressed that the private entrepreneurs needed to understand the concept of health and safety at workplaces and top management must take the responsibility to ensure safe work environment and adequate welfare facilities for workers. "There is a deepening convergence of interests - from the global community and Bangladesh-to work together in supporting our RMG industry, at least for supporting lives and livelihoods of four million people involved with the industry, or for the all-encompassing empowerment of women," said Foreign Minister Dipu Moni. The government initiated some substantive pieces of work on occupational safety and health for the ready-made garment workers, said the labour minister. "ILO has played a long-term role in Bangladesh, with extensive involvement in the RMG sector prior to the Tazreen Fashions fire and the Rana Plaza building collapse," said Mr Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, ILO Deputy-Director General for Field Operations and Partnerships. "This programme will provide support in implementing the National Tripartite Plan of Action on fire safety and structural integrity. Successful implementation of the programme will ensure better working conditions and safety for the ready-made garment workers in Bangladesh," he added. "Rana Plaza and Tazreen Fashions 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," Dutch ambassador Gerben Sjoerd de Jong said, adding that the Netherlands supported the ILO programme, because it contained all the crucial elements required for making the garment sector safe and sustainable. He also stressed the need for starting factory inspections. The new initiative complements other initiatives aimed at improving safety in RMG factories such as the Sustainability Compact adopted by the European Union, the government of Bangladesh and the United States, the Accord and the Alliance. As part of the new initiative the ILO and the International Finance Corporation also launched the Better Work programme in Bangladesh which will complement implementation of factory-level activities to improve compliance with national labour laws and respect for international core labour standards while promoting the competitiveness of participating factories.