Dear all, see below the NYT oped on factory safety. Best, Masud Khan Shujon A Promising Approach to Factory Safety By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Published: July 11, 2013 Making clothing factories safer is a Sisyphean task. It is hard, time-consuming work, and improvements are often fleeting because global brands are constantly finding new suppliers in countries with weak regulations. But the birth of a new approach could help break, or at least arrest, that seemingly endless loop. Several labor groups and more than 70 clothing companies, most of them based in Europe, this week began implementing a legally binding agreement, signed in May, to inspect and renovate thousands of factories in Bangladesh. The agreement, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, is an ambitious initiative to use the buying power of Western companies to improve workplace safety. Though it will require changes in local laws and government enforcement to be fully effective, the agreement could measurably improve conditions for four million workers in Bangladesh, where fires and building collapses have killed 1,800 people in the last seven years. The accord goes further than previous voluntary efforts to monitor factories. For instance, it allows labor groups to take clothing brands that refuse to live up to their commitments to arbitration or, failing that, to court in the companies’ home countries. This would give unions a crucial tool to help ensure that industry keeps its word. American retailers like Wal-Mart, Gap and Target have refused to sign the agreement because they object to its binding nature. On Wednesday, these and 14 other companies announced a separate plan. Though it would provide loans, their program basically puts the onus for improving conditions on the factories and does not subject the American companies to legal liability. It also does not give labor unions a role in overseeing its implementation. Under the European-led deal, a foundation underwritten by clothing companies will send inspectors to identify hazards and propose safety measures at factories that make clothes for brands like H&M, Zara and Tommy Hilfiger. The cost of repairing factories and paying workers who are temporarily furloughed will be covered by the companies, loans from international financial institutions, and Bangladeshi and foreign government funds. Retailers will commit to keep buying from factories that agree to make repairs and will stop buying from any that refuse. The foundation will be run by clothing companies and global and local labor groups. Neither Bangladesh’s government nor its garment industry are part of the agreement but have agreed to support it. The success of the plan will depend heavily on how well it is implemented and on whether companies keep their commitment to help pay for repairs and continue to buy clothes from Bangladesh. Recent tragedies provide ample evidence that voluntary measures to monitor factories are not enough to protect workers. It is time for a new approach.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 08:35:41 +0000
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