BGMEA's training programme for workers, management people starts from tomorrow
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Monira Munni
The country's apex body for apparel-BGMEA will start the crash training programme Monday in a bid to train all the workers which starts with the mid- level management personnel.
The BGMEA's move to launch such a training programme came against the backdrop of the devastating fire incident at Tazreen Fashions Ltd at Ashulia last month, which claimed at least 112 lives of workers and injured several others.
Global buyers also laid emphasis on training programme for all workers, especially the mid level management personnel, and also owners in a bid to ensure health and fire safety in each and every factory of the apparel industry in an emergency meeting with the apparel leaders last month after the Tazreen incident.
"This time we want to bring all the workers under the training programme," President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin told the FE Saturday.
We don't want recurrence of such fire incidents, he said adding all the workers including mid- level management personnel and owners will be trained.
We have divided all the factories under ten zones including five from Dhaka while the rest cover from Ashulia, Gazipur, Savar, Narayanganj, Rupganj and Narsingdi, Atiqul Islam, co-ordinator of the programme said.
Owners and nine mid-level management personnel including production manager (PM) or assistant PM, line chief, supervisor, compliance cell, mechanic, electrician and security guard will be trained at the BGMEA auditorium, he said adding they will train their own factory workers.
Experts from BGMEA and Fire Brigade will constitute the training programme, he explained.
Mr Islam who is also the former vice president of BGMEA said he received a good output from such crash training programme done in 2001.
Again in 2007 they took such a programme but there was no follow up after then.
Every month we will organise at least 20 training programmes for about 8000 people, he said adding they will train about 3,50,000 people within six months.
Preventive measures, fire detecting and fire fighting programmes will be focused in the training, he explained.
They will also launch awareness raising campaign among the workers after their work is over through folk music.
There are about 3000 listed members of BGMEA, he said adding the programme will be an ongoing one until all the workers are trained.
President of Textile Garment Workers Unions' Federation, Lovely Yesmin, welcoming the move said "This is undoubtedly a good initiative but it should be a continuous effort not just an eye wash."
She also stressed on training of mid- level management personnel saying it is the mid- level people who run a factory.
The apparel industry is the country's main foreign currency earner contributing about $20 billion-80 per cent of the country's total export earnings.
The country's apex body for apparel-BGMEA will start the crash training programme Monday in a bid to train all the workers which starts with the mid- level management personnel.
The BGMEA's move to launch such a training programme came against the backdrop of the devastating fire incident at Tazreen Fashions Ltd at Ashulia last month, which claimed at least 112 lives of workers and injured several others.
Global buyers also laid emphasis on training programme for all workers, especially the mid level management personnel, and also owners in a bid to ensure health and fire safety in each and every factory of the apparel industry in an emergency meeting with the apparel leaders last month after the Tazreen incident.
"This time we want to bring all the workers under the training programme," President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin told the FE Saturday.
We don't want recurrence of such fire incidents, he said adding all the workers including mid- level management personnel and owners will be trained.
We have divided all the factories under ten zones including five from Dhaka while the rest cover from Ashulia, Gazipur, Savar, Narayanganj, Rupganj and Narsingdi, Atiqul Islam, co-ordinator of the programme said.
Owners and nine mid-level management personnel including production manager (PM) or assistant PM, line chief, supervisor, compliance cell, mechanic, electrician and security guard will be trained at the BGMEA auditorium, he said adding they will train their own factory workers.
Experts from BGMEA and Fire Brigade will constitute the training programme, he explained.
Mr Islam who is also the former vice president of BGMEA said he received a good output from such crash training programme done in 2001.
Again in 2007 they took such a programme but there was no follow up after then.
Every month we will organise at least 20 training programmes for about 8000 people, he said adding they will train about 3,50,000 people within six months.
Preventive measures, fire detecting and fire fighting programmes will be focused in the training, he explained.
They will also launch awareness raising campaign among the workers after their work is over through folk music.
There are about 3000 listed members of BGMEA, he said adding the programme will be an ongoing one until all the workers are trained.
President of Textile Garment Workers Unions' Federation, Lovely Yesmin, welcoming the move said "This is undoubtedly a good initiative but it should be a continuous effort not just an eye wash."
She also stressed on training of mid- level management personnel saying it is the mid- level people who run a factory.
The apparel industry is the country's main foreign currency earner contributing about $20 billion-80 per cent of the country's total export earnings.