The future prospects for obtaining favourable tariff treatment for Bangladeshi exports may face a blow, if the government and local apparel makers fail to negotiate with Accord in a feasible way for continuing its full operations, according to IndustriALL.
The global trade union, representing 50 million workers in 140 countries, also warned that Accord will operate from its Amsterdam headquarters by re-locating the management of its inspection, remediation and training programmes and engaging subcontractors for implementation.
Unless Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the government swiftly negotiate with Accord in a feasible way to continue its full operations, the future prospects for favourable tariff treatment for Bangladeshi exports will be much dimmer, said a statement of IndustriAll, issued on Monday.
It also said the three funders of Bangladesh's Remediation and Coordination Cell (RCC) - the Netherlands, Canada and the UK - should therefore urge the government to lift restrictions, report publicly on progress of the inspection body, and stress the need for political will in Bangladesh to create a genuine transition plan that must also include safety trainings and a mechanism for workers' complaints on safety hazards.
If the government does not allow Accord to operate effectively and independently, trading partners will have to consider the impact that the decision will have on their trade policy with Bangladesh, the statement added.
It further noted that the government is using proceedings before the Supreme Court (SC) to prevent Accord from operating, thereby putting workers' safety at risk.
"In its submission to SC regarding Accord's appeal against an order that it ceases operating in Bangladesh from November 30, the government has stated that Accord should only be allowed to continue operations in the country under a set of highly obstructive constraints which strip the globally-respected safety initiative of its ability to operate independently of the government and employers' control. The constraints include that this will be the last extension allowed to Accord maintaining its office in Dhaka".
"If the government does not urgently lift these constraints, in order to preserve the standard and independence of its operations, Accord will have no other choice than to continue to operate from its Amsterdam headquarters by re-locating management of its inspection, remediation and training programmes and engaging subcontractors for implementation."
"This will necessarily have implications for its capacity to support factories in remediation, leading to brands having to terminate their business relationships with more factories that are still not safe."
The global union signatories to Accord - IndustriALL and UNI - and the four witness signatories - Clean Clothes Campaign, International Labor Rights Forum, Maquila Solidarity Network, and Worker Rights Consortium - call on Bangladesh's trading partners and global apparel brands to press the government to refrain from imposing these shocking impediments to Accord continuing its work.
The government's conditions, if accepted by SC, will destroy the independence of Accord by subjecting all its decisions to the approval of a government committee.
Another condition prohibits Accord inspectors from identifying any new safety violations, effectively requiring them to ignore deadly hazards found during their inspections.
Yet another prevents Accord from taking any action against factory owners who threaten or fire workers for raising safety complaints, the statement mentioned.
"The government's conditions will make it impossible for Accord to identify and report on any new safety hazards, to support factories towards completing life-saving renovations, to respond to workers' complaints about safety hazards, and to continue vital health and safety training for workers and managers. A permission to operate under such conditions is no permission at all."
The statement continued that a genuine transition plan for factory inspections, safety trainings, and a workers' complaint mechanism will need much more time and genuine engagement by the government.
Accord is a private contract that will remain binding upon the signatory brands until 2021, or until RCC is demonstrably ready. Bangladesh's trading partners, including the EU, Canada and the US, want their brands to be able to rely on Accord to ensure that their supplier factories are safe, it added.
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