Bangladesh Alliance trains 1m in fire safety but challenges remain
23/09/2014
Representatives from the North American apparel and retail industry gathered at a workshop in Washington, DC, where they heard that Alliance has made “great progress” but that challenges remain.
Some of the highlights were listed as:
• The Alliance inspected all 587 factories reported by its members
• A worker helpline is in a pilot phase in 50 factories and is being expanded to 150 factories by the end of the year
• The Alliance provided four months’ wages for 1,000 workers who had been displaced from their jobs due to factory closures
• Bangladeshi labour leaders were appointed to the board of advisers
However, it admitted better coordination among the worker safety initiatives in Bangladesh is needed, as is affordable financing for the remediation of factories and continued training.
The Alliance is made up of members of: the American Apparel & Footwear Association, the Canadian Apparel Federation, the US-based National Retail Federation, the Retail Council, the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the United States Fashion Industry Association.
Image: At work at a garment factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh. Credit: UN Photo/Kibae Park
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