More than 54 percent of remediation works have been completed in the garment factories that the Alliance members, including Walmart and Gap, source from. “Remediation is an important part of the safety initiative. I am amazed with the transformation of the factories in Bangladesh,” said James Moriarty, country director of Alliance, speaking to a group of journalists at his office in Dhaka on Sunday. “The Alliance members have also severed business ties with 91 factories so far, as they were not eager to remediate their units to plug the safety loopholes,” said Moriarty. Alliance is a factory inspection and remediation agency of 29 North American retailers and brands. Factory owners can manage the remediation funds from banks, as many financing agencies are providing low-cost funds, he added. Engineers of Alliance have been monitoring the progress in remediation on fire, electrical and structural elements after the completion of the preliminary inspection in September 2014. Alliance member factories have already imparted training to 1.2 million workers on fire and building safety and set up hotlines so that workers can complain to government officials if any dispute arises. “Bangladesh has become a positive example for safety progress in the garment factories,” he said. “We are thinking about replicating the process in other countries.” Alliance members reaffirmed that they will continue to source garment items from Bangladesh, despite the recent militant attacks. Out of 29 retailers and brands under the Alliance umbrella, 14 have their own offices in Bangladesh. “I still did not hear of any Alliance member cancelling their work orders in Bangladesh.” Though the officials of the member companies are not travelling to Bangladesh, they are placing work orders from other countries, or by internet, he said. The government should work out a plan for what would happen after the two foreign inspection and remediation agencies — Accord and Alliance — depart in 2018, he added. The agencies were formed after the Rana Plaza building collapse in April 2013. “We have failed to sell our positive achievements in Bangladesh over the years,” said Tapan Chowdhury, a member of the board of directors of Alliance. The garment sector has helped empower women in Bangladesh, he added. “The workers, especially the women, are very hard working. They are our strength. Many do not want to recognise the strength of the workers.” The factories should sincerely take care of their workers, Chowdhury said.
