Agreement between government, industry and labor representatives underscores shared commitment to workers’ rights and rule of law

DHAKA, Bangladesh - The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (the “Alliance”) welcomes the tripartite agreement reached by the Bangladesh Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the IndustriAll Bangladesh Council (IBC). The agreement comes weeks after numerous labor advocates were detained and interrogated for holding protests in the Ashulia district protesting rent increases and calling for higher minimum wages to support families and cover basic household expenses.

In the agreement, all parties agreed to release detainees, reopen shuttered zonal offices and either pay or reinstate workers who were fired for taking part in protests. The signatories further committed to ensuring sustainable relations among garment factories through peaceful dialogue between owners and workers.

The Alliance opens the New Year with significant remediation progress

DHAKA, Bangladesh—The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety announced today that ten additional Alliance-affiliated factories have completed all material components outlined in their Corrective Action Plans (CAPs), bringing the total number of graduated factories to 60.

The factories include Karnaphuli Shoes Industries Ltd (Garments), Reliance Washing Industries Ltd, Canvas Garments (Pvt.) Ltd, Llano (BD) Ltd, Smart Jacket (BD) Ltd, Shehan Specialized Textile Mills Ltd, Pearl Garments Co Ltd, Eastern Knit Wear Limited, Shikder Printing, and Lenny Fashions Limited (Unit-2).

“We are incredibly proud to welcome these ten to our rapidly growing list of factories that have made concrete commitments to worker safety through remediation,” said Alliance Country Director Jim Moriarty. “Their success serves as both an inspiration and proof that, despite a challenging context, transformative change in Bangladesh’s RMG industry is achievable.”

The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety is deeply saddened by news of a fire that broke out Thursday at a footwear factory in the Alubazar of Bangshal in Dhaka. One worker died, and two were injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by this tragedy.

We urge the government of Bangladesh to fully implement the National Action Plan commitments to improve factory safety across all industries in Bangladesh. The Alliance is working to ensure that factories from which our Members source meet strict inspection standards and provide a safe working environment free of structural, electrical and fire-related hazards. All factory workers in Bangladesh should be protected; not just those covered by brand-led safety initiatives.

December marks busy month of factory remediation progress and accountability measures

DHAKA, Bangladesh—The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety announced today that during the month of December, four additional Alliance-affiliated factories completed all material components outlined in their Corrective Action Plans (CAPs), bringing the total number of graduated factories to 50.

Factories achieving substantial completion of their CAPs in December include Arrow Jeans (Pvt) Ltd, LCB International (BD) Limited, Smart Jeans Ltd, and That’s It Sweater Ltd. Smart Jeans Ltd is the first Alliance-affiliated factory to complete required remediation after being suspended and subsequently reactivated.

We are deeply troubled by reports of the detention and interrogation of nearly a dozen labor rights leaders by the Bangladesh government. The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety strongly supports the rights of workers to organize in accordance with the laws of Bangladesh. Our Member Agreement formally asserts the right of workers to refuse to work in dangerous conditions, and we support and encourage the right of workers to unionize in Alliance-affiliated factories.

We consult closely with our Board Labor Committee—comprised of five trade union leaders—on all matters related directly to workers. And by July 2018, we will have established Worker Safety Committees—groups of workers trained and empowered to monitor on-site occupational safety and health issues—in all 600+ Alliance factories.

Reinstatement of three suspended factories in recognition of progress and Suspension of one factory for inaction on safety repairs round out Alliance November updates

DHAKA, Bangladesh - The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety announced today that four additional Alliance-affiliated factories have completed all material components outlined in their Corrective Action Plans (CAPs), bringing the total number of graduated factories to 46. In addition, three factories previously suspended by the Alliance have been reinstated in recognition of remediation progress.

Global Fashion Garments Ltd., Global Outerwear Ltd., Ornate Knit Garment Industries Ltd. and Sajid Washing & Dyeing all achieved closure on their CAPs, and Sheehan Specialized Textile Mills Ltd., Smart Jacket (BD) Ltd. and Smart Jeans Ltd. were removed from suspension.

The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety is deeply saddened by news of the deadly fire at a cigarette factory in Ashulia, Dhaka, in which one person has died and more than 30 have been injured. We understand that the workers, many of them young women under the age of 20, remain in critical condition as a result of their injuries. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, workers, and all those impacted by this tragedy.

This is not an RMG factory, and thus not aligned with any current safety initiative, which further begs the need to ensure every worker in Bangladesh is protected, no matter the industry, and that safety reforms span across all Bangladeshi factories.

WASHINGTON — The Honorable Ellen O’Kane Tauscher, independent chair of the Board of The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (Alliance), has issued the following statement in response to a report by the International Labor Rights Forum, Clean Clothes Campaign, Worker Rights Consortium and Maquila Solidarity Network, that in several areas, misrepresents and oversimplifies the complexities of the Alliance and the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety’s (Accord) efforts to improve worker safety in Bangladesh. It is important to note that the factories highlighted in the report are those producing products for both Alliance and Accord brands.