‘Escalation protocol’ to be in place for errant apparel units

The errant garment factories, inspected under National Initiative, will finally face strict measures like suspension of production, upon their failure to complete the post-inspection remediation work in certain phases, officials said.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) is set to approve the draft of an 'escalation protocol' soon for the ready-made garment (RMG) factories, with the provision of closure of units for performing poorly in remediation.
In absence of such an approved 'escalation protocol' the factory owners are dillydallying in the remediation activities despite several moves, they added.
The 'escalation protocol' is similar to the process of western retailers' platforms -- Accord and Alliance -- that cut business ties with their suppliers upon their failure to complete the necessary remediation work within a set timeframe.
"The ministry has recently decided to approve the notice and warning process of the 'escalation protocol' with closure of factories finally," Shamsuzzaman Bhuiyan, inspector general (IG) of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), told the FE.
Earlier, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) drafted an 'escalation protocol' for the factories, assessed under National Initiative. The stakeholders concerned, including the government and the RMG factory owners, also agreed it in principle, he added.
But the factory owners are dillydallying in complying with the protocol, said MoLE officials.
The ministry later formed a tripartite committee, comprised of the government officials, and representatives from Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and trade unions, to finalise the draft protocol with some necessary changes.
Once the protocol gets approval, all stakeholders will be obliged to comply with it, they added.
The protocol will have six phases, including warning meeting, two warning letters, suspension of export license and utility declaration (UD), final notice before closure, and issuance of factory closure order as per Section 61(2) of labour law, according to DIFE officials.
The DIFE IG said more than 200 garment factories are now in the fifth phase.
DIFE issued separate letters to the BGMEA and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) in this regard on September 20.
In the letters it asked them to stop providing UD to those non-compliant RMG units in three weeks due to their poor post-inspection remediation progress.
Out of the units, some 131 are registered with the BGMEA and 84 with the BKMEA. Some 11 are members of both the trade-bodies, according to DIFE officials.
On November 4, after one and a half month of the DIFE directive, the BGMEA declined to stop issuing UD to its member factories for non-compliance.
The association said it is not possible to close down any factory immediately after getting the letter, as the livelihood of a good number of workers is dependent on the operation of the factories, which also have their existing work orders.
The DIFE officials said they have requested the apparel sector trade-bodies to take the measure in line with the draft escalation protocol.
They expressed hope that the BGMEA and the BKMEA will comply with the protocol, once it is approved by MoLE.
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