The timeframe for cost-free inspection of garment factories as per the government-ILO joint move under a national initiative has been extended by three months, as many units still remained to be checked as per western demand. Officials said the decision came Tuesday after the latest deadline expired in July, without covering the list of factories prepared under the initiative for checking safety and labour-right conditions. The decision came from a meeting of the National Tripartite Committee for ‘National Tripartite Plan of Action for Fire Safety and Structural Integrity in Readymade Garment Sector in Bangladesh’, headed by Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar. The meeting was held at his secretariat office. Syed Ahmed, Inspector-General of the Department of Factories and Establishments (DIFE), Shahidullah Azim, vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Md Hatem, vice- president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufactures and Exporters Association (BKMEA), representatives from Accord and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) were among others present at the meeting. The ILO on April 30 wrote to BGMEA and BKMEA about its revised deadline, requesting the trade bodies to inform its members about enjoying free-of-charge assessment before the expiry of the deadline. The cost of the assessment would have to be borne by the building and factory owners after the deadline. Later, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) issued a circular on June 01 mentioning that assessment of listed garment factories under the national initiative would end on July 30. Mr Shipar also confirmed the latest time extension. “The time has been extended as some 300 garment factories are not yet inspected,” he said. If they fail to carry out inspection within the revised timeframe, manufacturers have to pay for the assessment, another meeting source said. The meeting also discussed the issue of activities of the field representatives appointed by the western consumers’ coalition Accord for gathering a spot view of the industry situation. BGMEA and BKMEA leaders alleged that they (field representatives) are creating problems outside the factory in the name of creating awareness among the workers. “The formation and function of safety committee will be decided by the rules of the law which is yet to be finalised,” Mr Azim said. The industry leader made a point that members of such committee must be from the people working in a factory, either from trade union or participatory committee or other committees formed by factory workers.
