RMG makers want that all stakeholders including the government, ILO, brands and representatives of trade union leaders be included in the new initiative to inspect apparel industry after the expiry of Accord and Alliance tenure. According to the steering committee’s draft proposal for Version 2, BGMEA representatives, International Labour Organisation (ILO), Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment (DIFE), Trade Unions and Brands would find place in the proposal to continue safety inspection for sustainability. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the apex trade body, has prepared the draft proposal which is being discussed with the stakeholders. The new initiative will replace Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, the tenure of which will expire by June 2018.According to the draft proposal, factory assessment would be done on an individual basis. The failure of remediation in any particular unit will not affect other production units belonging to the same group.Following the identification of safety hazards and providing corrective action plans, manufactures have to be given sufficient time to address them, the proposal reads.Besides, new factories entering the pool of suppliers will have to pay for their inspections based on the square footage of their facility, it noted. Independent third party auditors, having prior audit and certification experience with Accord or Alliance, will be contacted to undertake all structural, fire and electrical audits.Where applicable, locally existing trained human resources, having prior evaluation experience would also be absorbed in Version-2.“Based on the proposed new initiatives, we are talking with the stakeholders. We also held meeting in Hong Kong with the Accord,” BGMEA senior vice-president Faruque Hassan told the Dhaka Tribune.“We want to mak the inspection process a continuous and sustainable one.” The Version-2 will be registered in Bangladesh under the relevant act of the land. From 2021, the new initiative will become fully self-financed.For the initial period, June 2018 to June 2020, the signatory buyers will contribute with a reduction of 50% of their annual dues that they have been paying to the Accord and Alliance since 2013.In October last year, BGMEA formed a five-member committee to set a strategy for post-Accord and Alliance inspection to ensure safety in workplace and the inspection process a sustainable one.The outcries over safety issues began after the Rana Plaza factory disaster that killed over 1,135 workers and injured over 2,500 people on April 24, 2013. Accord, a platform of European buyers, and Alliance, another platform of North American buyers, started inspection in mid-2014 to improve electrical, fire and structural safety in Bangladesh RMG sector.The tenure of the inspection by the both platforms will come to an end by June 2018
