International Labour Organisation (ILO) will not bear the cost of initial assessment of the garment factories in Bangladesh after the expiry of its July 31 revised deadline. However, ILO is now planning to shift the post-inspection responsibility to the government authority concerned. “ILO’s support of the preliminary structural, fire and electrical building and factory safety assessments will end by 31 July 2015 with the emphasis of work shifting to the relevant government authority for follow-up,” ILO Country Director Srinivas Reddy told the FE Sunday. “We would like to complete everything before July 31. If any factory left out, they need to pay for factory inspection,” he said, explaining that they set the deadline for assessment free of charge that has already continued for a long time due to various reasons, including non-cooperation from the factory management. After the expiry of the revised deadline, building and factory owners have to bear the cost of assessment. Earlier, the government-ILO joint initiative under the National Plan of Action set the 30 April 2015 deadline to complete the assessment of garment factories that remain outside the purview of Accord and Alliance. Assessment of garment factories under the joint move started in November 2013. The assessment programme was reportedly delayed due to non-cooperation from the factory management and inconsistencies in information including factory addresses and contact numbers the ILO received from the apparel apex bodies. ILO in a recent meeting with the government also sought cooperation from the BGMEA and BKMEA in this regard. Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments also started verifying information. Up to April 30, structural, fire and electrical inspections have been carried out at some 759 factories under the government-ILO joint programme while 1,068 factories which are on the current list will be inspected, according to ILO. ILO on April 30 sent letter to the BGMEA and BKMEA about its revised deadline, requesting the trade bodies to inform its members to enjoy free of charge assessment before the expiry of the deadline. “Following the ILO’s message, we have already started asking our members to come under the assessment programme,” Md Shahidullah Azim, vice president of BGMEA, said. “No factory can do business if they are not inspected either any of the three initiatives– Accord, Alliance and ILO,” he said, adding that buyers would not place orders if they are not certified and BGMEA can’t help them in this regard.
Source: https://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2015/05/11/92217
