The VF Corporation, a founding member of the Alliance, has pledged to spend at least US$ 17 million to improve working conditions in Bangladesh's apparel sector.
The American apparel giant, owner of brands such as the North Face, Wrangler and Timberland, made a progress report, which was available Thursday, about the safety and working conditions at its supplier factories in Bangladesh.
"As an Alliance member and through independent actions, VF has pledged to spend at least 17 million US dollars in the near future to improve working conditions in Bangladesh," a statement issued by VF said.
The Alliance members have backed over $ 100 million in capital for safety improvements in their respective supply chains and have formalised direct loans to factories.
"During the past 13 months, VF, in collaboration with the Alliance, has made measurable progress in the areas of factory inspections and repairs, and worker training and empowerment initiatives, in addition to providing significant financial resources to ensure worker support and safety", the statement added.
Quoting Eric Wiseman, chairman, president and CEO of VF, it said, "At VF, the safety of our associates and the people who make our products around the world is a priority and we are putting our human and financial resources behind our commitment."
"We are proud of our recent accomplishments and those of the Alliance in Bangladesh, but there is still much work to be done. We will continue to collaborate with The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety and with the Bangladeshi government, labour unions, garment workers, factory owners and other like-minded organisations to make the factories in Bangladesh safer for all workers," Eric Wiseman added.
On the factory inspection side, a Fire Safety and Structural Integrity Standard has been developed and implemented with seven local companies having been hired to conduct independent inspections, the statement said adding that the inspections of all 587 member factories are finished and the full or partial closure of ten of them due to safety concerns has been recommended.
"The Alliance is currently working on a publication and website listing the information about all factory inspections and corrective action measures."
In terms of training, the Alliance developed the Alliance Basic Fire Safety Training module and trained more than one million workers and managers in basic fire safety. It also hosted a first international trade expo on building and fire safety in Dhaka.
According to the report, the Alliance also doubled the duration of compensation provided to displaced workers from two to four months and disbursed wages to approximately 1,000 workers displaced by factory remediation to date.
In terms of worker empowerment, the Alliance conducted a survey with more than 3,200 Bangladeshi workers and a follow-up survey with almost 700 of them to assess worker awareness and started a worker helpline in 50 factories.
It appointed three Bangladeshi labour leaders to its board of advisers and created a board committee comprised of seven trade union leaders dedicated exclusively to labour issues. Worker representatives were also invited to be part of the factory inspection process and the Alliance Members Agreement was amended to include a worker's right to refuse unsafe work.
The Alliance is comprised of 26 apparel and retail companies including Costco, Gap, Macy's, Target and Walmart.
VF Corpn vows to spend $ 17m
FE Report | Published: August 16, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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