Bangladesh Apparel Industry: Learning the Hard Way
April 24, 2014 was a fateful day which will remain highlighted for a long time in the years to come. It was the day when the infamous Rana Plaza in Bangladesh was gutted in a deadly fire. The unfortunate incident that lead to a death toll of about 1129, with approximately 2515 people injured, raised a multitude of questions over the safety of manufacturing units in Bangladesh. In less than six months of the Rana Plaza tragedy, another textile mill near the capital city of Dhaka caught fire; the blaze affected 50 people.
The incidents highlighted a potentially dangerous situation that had developed over a long period. Bangladesh is a major hub of apparel manufacturing factories with thousands of units running there. In spite of being a major contributor to the global textile and apparel market, working conditions and labor wages in Bangladesh are among the worst in the world. Owing to this, any brand associated with Bangladesh’s manufacturing, undisputedly earns a poor reputation.
Moving on for better and safer workplaces
The fire incidents and the resulting international outrage over the poor industrial conditions in the country led to The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (2013). It was specially formulated to keep a check on the challenges faced by the apparel and textile industry in Bangladesh. The aim of the accord is to make all apparel factories in the country safe places to work.
It is a legally binding agreement signed by more than 150 apparel companies of 20 countries in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. Several Bangladeshi and other international trade unions are parties to the accord while the International Labor Organization (ILO) acts as an independent chair. It is supported by several labor right NGOs who act as witnesses to all parties who have signed on to be a part of this 5-year commitment for safer factories in Bangladesh. Apparel licensees have been asked to follow the Bangladesh safety accord if they are looking for business interests in the country.
A few highlights of the accord
The accord is a legally enforceable agreement on workplace standards in the Bangladesh manufacturing units. This is between global union federations and the brands, including their supply chains.
It states that the workplace standards must be followed, including “internationally recognized workplace safety standards”.
The accord calls for a steering committee to monitor the implementation of the agreement signed by the concerned parties. The representatives of the committee are appointed by the global unions and the signatory companies in equal numbers.
The future road
Unfortunately, it took tragedies such as the one’s mentioned above, for the world to realize the poor conditions under which the apparel manufacturers in Bangladesh forced the labors to work.
There have been efforts to improve the health and safety conditions of factory workers in the apparel and textile industry of Bangladesh at a global level. However, a lot is still to be done. One can see that various platforms and forums are advocating labor welfare in Bangladesh and other countries. For latest updates on this issue, one can refer to various online journals and research portals.
It is the need of the hour for the industry players to stand up for the big cause of ethical business before another big fallout strikes.
Edward is a strategist in a textile manufacturing company. On the basis of his business acumen, he has created marketing and execution plans that have helped brands and businesses to grow proportionately in the apparel manufacturers in bangladesh
The incidents highlighted a potentially dangerous situation that had developed over a long period. Bangladesh is a major hub of apparel manufacturing factories with thousands of units running there. In spite of being a major contributor to the global textile and apparel market, working conditions and labor wages in Bangladesh are among the worst in the world. Owing to this, any brand associated with Bangladesh’s manufacturing, undisputedly earns a poor reputation.
Moving on for better and safer workplaces
The fire incidents and the resulting international outrage over the poor industrial conditions in the country led to The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (2013). It was specially formulated to keep a check on the challenges faced by the apparel and textile industry in Bangladesh. The aim of the accord is to make all apparel factories in the country safe places to work.
It is a legally binding agreement signed by more than 150 apparel companies of 20 countries in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. Several Bangladeshi and other international trade unions are parties to the accord while the International Labor Organization (ILO) acts as an independent chair. It is supported by several labor right NGOs who act as witnesses to all parties who have signed on to be a part of this 5-year commitment for safer factories in Bangladesh. Apparel licensees have been asked to follow the Bangladesh safety accord if they are looking for business interests in the country.
A few highlights of the accord
The accord is a legally enforceable agreement on workplace standards in the Bangladesh manufacturing units. This is between global union federations and the brands, including their supply chains.
It states that the workplace standards must be followed, including “internationally recognized workplace safety standards”.
The accord calls for a steering committee to monitor the implementation of the agreement signed by the concerned parties. The representatives of the committee are appointed by the global unions and the signatory companies in equal numbers.
The future road
Unfortunately, it took tragedies such as the one’s mentioned above, for the world to realize the poor conditions under which the apparel manufacturers in Bangladesh forced the labors to work.
There have been efforts to improve the health and safety conditions of factory workers in the apparel and textile industry of Bangladesh at a global level. However, a lot is still to be done. One can see that various platforms and forums are advocating labor welfare in Bangladesh and other countries. For latest updates on this issue, one can refer to various online journals and research portals.
It is the need of the hour for the industry players to stand up for the big cause of ethical business before another big fallout strikes.
Edward is a strategist in a textile manufacturing company. On the basis of his business acumen, he has created marketing and execution plans that have helped brands and businesses to grow proportionately in the apparel manufacturers in bangladesh
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