Bangladesh’s garment factory owners have expressed their deep displeasure over a unilateral decision made by EU brands and retailers to extend the presence of Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh by three years.
They say Bangladesh is a sovereign country and that the unilateral decision is not a sign of partnership. They add that without consultation with stakeholders, Accord cannot extend its timeframe. If Accord wants to work after 2018, it would have to send a proposal in this regard to the government of Bangladesh.
At the OECD Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct in Paris on June 29 EU retailers and global trade unions announced the extension of the agreement on Accord for a second term saying that the agreement will enter into effect when the current Accord expires in May 2018.
Accord is a European retailers’ platform. Accord conducted a successful pilot safety committee training program at 56 supplier factories having registered trade unions and the initiative has formed safety committees in 33 of the factories.
If any factory seeks financial assistance for remediation, Accord would facilitate negotiation over the issue between the lead buyers and manufacturers.
A total of 1,388 out of the 1,452 readymade garment factories inspected by Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh are lagging behind the schedule in implementing corrective action plan while remediation in 57 factories are progressing as per schedule.
