Alliance to share 50pc of RMG workers\\\' two-month wages

The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety will share 50 per cent of two months' wage benefit for workers with the owners of any readymade garment (RMG) factory during suspension of production in it following any safety assessment.

Ellen Tauscher, Independent Chair of the Alliance comprising 26 North American apparel companies, brands and retailers, made clear its position about wages of workers during production suspension in any garment factory at a press conference Thursday.

The announcement came at a time when the other stakeholders-apparel makers and the Accord-another platform of more than 150 apparel brands, retailers and companies mostly based in the EU -- were yet to take any such decision.

"The Alliance will stay with the factory and pay 50 per cent of the two months' wages of workers, if production in any factory is suspended following safety assessment while the rest will be paid by the factory owner," Ms Tauscher said at the briefing organised by the Alliance held in the city.

The Alliance members, also business competitors, joined the safety initiative aiming to ensure workplace safety and workers' rights in the garment sector, she said. "We are here because of workers, mostly women, and factories," she added.

Terming the Rana Plaza collapse a terrible tragedy, she said: "We will work with anyone any time to ensure workplace safety and move forward to protect the workers."

Apart from progress in inspections and training, work was underway to establish a remediation process offering appropriate oversight and advanced technical support to make sure factories could achieve the necessary upgrades and improvements, she added.

Replying to a question, Ms Tauscher said: "We are here to update key partners on our progress and ensure that we are living up to our commitment to help make Bangladesh's readymade garment industry safer."

Responding to another question, she said the Alliance was working with the government to include its inspection results in the official database established by the government and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The briefing was also said that more than 50 per cent of 700 garment factories, from which the Alliance members were sourcing their products, were inspected while it recommended immediate suspension of production in only three factories, one in Dhaka and the two others in the port city Chittagong.

The Alliance requested the official review committee to take necessary steps after scrutiny of its recommendations.

More than 400,000 factory managers and workers had been trained with the aim to train more than one million by July next, the Alliance chairman said.

To ensure workers' empowerment, the Alliance would roll out a worker helpline for 50 factories in the current month with plans to expand the facility to 150 factories by the end of 2014.

Earlier Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Atiqul Islam requested the Accord to come forward to share the wages of workers during any factory's production suspension as announced by the Alliance.

"Many of the factory owners don't have the ability to pay the workers at the time when their factory is not operating. I request the Accord members to follow the example set by the Alliance," he added.

General Secretary of Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra Wajedul Islam Khan said that the workers would not accept the closure of any factory, if done illegally.

President of Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees League Sirajul Islam Rony said they would protest and even demonstrate in the event of anything going against the interest of the workers and the industry.

Alliance Managing Director M Rabin, Managing director of enterprises at BRAC Muhammad Rumee Ali and President of the executive committee of the National Labour League Sukkur Mahmud, among others, were present at the briefing.