Govt prepares draft strategy to make RMG units safe

The government has prepared a draft strategy to complete the remediation works on priority basis for ensuring safe and decent working conditions in the country's readymade garment (RMG) sector, officials said.
They said the draft also proposed to launch of a single-window registration and licensing system for the industry.
It recommended short, medium and long-term measures to help improve the competitiveness of the sector too.
The draft strategy was prepared in line with the recommendations of the Sustainability Compact and International Labour Organisation (ILO).
On May 31, the European Commission also called for, among others, developing a transparent remediation strategy with timeline and making reporting on factory remediation public.
The government at a meeting with the foreign diplomats in July had committed to formulate the strategy by August this year.
"We have prepared a draft in cooperation with ILO and sent it to the labour ministry last month for approval," inspector general of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) Md Shamsuzzaman Bhuiyan told the FE.
He said the short-term measures like inspection of all factories, launching of remediation coordination cell (RCC) and harmonisation of building standards have been done..
As part of the mid-term measures, he added, the strategy has set out to complete the remaining remediation works in all the factories on a priority basis.
The DIFE has set timeframe to complete the ongoing flaw-fixing works in the factories under a joint initiative of the government and the ILO by June 2018, added the DG.
He said the ILO has proposed to establish the 'single window service' for factory owners to facilitate them with all regulatory services like building permits and licencing for the industrial purposes.
The ministry would soon take decision on the issues and take necessary steps, he said, stressing the need for coordination among the regulatory bodies like Fire Service and Civil Defence and RAJUK.
In the mid-term, an information and knowledge management system will restructure the review process, allowing the authorities to check status of the clearances before granting final approvals with active involvement of employer and worker organisations in promoting and managing safety and health at work through enterprise-level mechanisms and social dialogue, people involved with the process said.
In the long-term, an industrial safety unit would be established to ensure compliance with national standards in all export-oriented and domestic industries of all sectors in Bangladesh, they added.
They said one of the key elements of the strategy would be that the government will ensure clear lines of responsibility and coordination among different agencies through the RCC. It will serve as a central point for multiple stakeholders to collaborate on ensuring safe working conditions in the RMG industry.
Some 3,500 garment factories have so far been assessed under the three initiatives-Accord, Alliance and national action plan.
Some 77 per cent of the identified safety flaws were remediated in Accord-inspected factories as of April this year while the rate is 81 per cent till August.
The Alliance has suspended relations with 157 supplier factories while the Accord terminated 89 garment units due to failure in carrying out the required remedial works.
The remediation progress under the national initiative was poor, however. Officials and industry people emphasised on building institutional structure and capacity needed to carry out these works, and ensuring access to finance for a good number of RMG factories.

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