After Rana Plaza and Tazreen Fashion incidents, the Bangladesh garments industry is now in unparallel height in building, fire and others safety parameters. Owners and associations sincerely looked into the matters and it is now considered that Bangladesh is the safest garments manufacturing hub in the world. Also, maximum LEED certified factories are in Bangladesh which is a matter of pride for the whole industry.
The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh was signed on 15 May 2013. It was a five-year independent, legally binding agreement between global brands and retailers and trade unions designed to build a safe and healthy Bangladeshi ready-made garment (RMG) Industry. The agreement was created in the immediate aftermath of the Rana Plaza building collapse.
The Accord shut down its operation in Bangladesh on 31st May 2020 and handed over the charges to the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) which started its operation from 1st June 2020.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the launching was slow but RSC successfully issued many recognition letters of remediation measures completion to the factories. Shangu Tex-2 Ltd also received the recognition letter recently after completing its remediation measures suggested by the Accord and RSC.
Maheer Mannan, Deputy Managing Director of Shangu Tex Ltd said, “We have completed more than 80% required remediation measures under Accord, and now completed 100% measures under RSC. I want to thank the RSC team to give support in this pandemic situation.”
“Previously factories did not have any scope to say anything. But now we can share our opinions which is important to complete such gigantic work,” Maheer Mannan added further.
1600+ factories right now RSC enlisted where remediation process is going on or end successfully.
It has been seen that Accord tried to linger the remediation process end of their period. Many factories faced losses due to different inspection teams operating in the same factory. Based on the cases, the Textile Today Factory Tales team collected some opinions from the industry that can improve the operation of RSC onward. They are:
- The inspection team should be fixed for a factory to avoid overlaps in the remediation process
- There should be a standard documentation system for the factories which will be accepted by all brands and buyers
- Safety equipment brands should not be fixed by the certification body, otherwise, the providing vendors take the price advantage rather should ensure the quality of the equipment
- There should be an opinion giving space for factories so that the whole process can be completed in a win-win condition
A safe workplace gives mental security to the staff. So, safety should be ensured for the factories themselves. Almost all export-oriented garments factories of Bangladesh are now aware of workplace safety. This should not come as a burden for the factories due to a haphazard decision from the workplace safety ensuring body. Which fell the factories in financial losses too.
