Canadian HR Reporter

CanaDian hr rePorTer September 22, 2014 FeAtuRes 13 OUtSOURCiNG Making garment factories safe: the Bangladesh Accord By Liana Foxvog o n April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza, an eight-storey building in Bangladesh that housed fi ve garment facto- ries, collapsed. At least 1,138 gar- ment workers were killed in the disaster, which became known as the deadliest tragedy in the histo- ry of the global garment industry. An estimated 3,000 children lost at least one parent. More than one year later, fami- lies continue to struggle not only with the trauma but also with the economic hardship. The Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund, set up to compensate injured workers and families of the deceased, and facilitated by the International Labour Organization, awaits full payments from the buyers. In the year prior to the building collapse, two companies agreed to a legally binding agreement to make their Bangladeshi supplier factories safe. But it wasn't un- til the horror of Rana Plaza that dozens more companies joined in through the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. Now, 169 apparel brands and re- tailers have signed the accord and paid their dues. Combined, they source from at least 1,572 fac- tories, where about two million workers are employed. What does the accord entail? e accord is a fi ve-year program of thorough, independent inspec- tions by fi re, structural and elec- trical engineers with detailed pub- lic reporting. e buyers must en- sure factories have the necessary fi nancing to undergo all required repairs and renovations to address the identifi ed hazards. e com- panies commit to maintaining orders in their supplier factories, working with suppliers to secure fi nancing and ensure renovations are completed. Workers and unions have an important role in the program, both as members of the steering committee and at a technical level. Trade unions are given access to factories, and are involved in oc- cupational health and safety com- mittees, helping educate workers about fi re and building safety risks and enabling respect for workers' right to refuse unsafe work. To date, the accord has inspect- ed more than 1,000 factories and published inspection reports and corrective action plans for 268 factories online. Once the fi rst round of inspections has been completed, there will be a round of followup inspections to ensure the necessary remediation work has taken place. e accord has four years remaining in its scope. Who are the signatories? Among the 169 company signato- ries are some of the largest apparel brands and retailers in the world. e list includes H&M, the larg- est buyer of Bangladeshi apparel; Loblaw, Canada's largest retailer; Tesco and Carrefour, two of the largest retailers in the world; and Inditex, the world's largest fashion retailer. e signatories include companies based in 20 coun- tries around the world. Ameri- can company PVH (owner of the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfi ger brands) was the fi rst signatory, later followed by another 15 U.S. companies, including Abercrom- bie & Fitch, American Eagle Out- fi tters and Fruit of the Loom. e accord has 10 union signa- tories: eight Bangladeshi union federations and two global union federations — IndustriALL and UNI Global Union. e four wit- ness signatories are the Clean Clothes Campaign, International Labor Rights Forum, Maquila Solidarity Network and Worker Rights Consortium. What is new about the accord? Global corporations in many in- dustries rely on voluntary codes of conduct and confi dential auditing systems with the stated purpose of ensuring the human rights and welfare of workers in their supply chains. Tragically, these systems have failed to protect workers in the apparel industry. The factories involved in all three of the recent apparel catas- trophes — the Ali Enterprises fi re in Pakistan, killing 259; the Taz- reen Fashions fi re in Bangladesh, killing 112; and the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, killing 1,138 — had been audited multiple times or certifi ed as safe and decent workplaces. e fundamental fl aws of these corporate monitoring programs are that they are voluntary, confi - dential and do not engage worker organizations (such as unions) in a meaningful way. As a result, global brands can inspect a fac- tory, fi nd it diffi cult to fi x and walk away without telling the local au- thorities, much less the workers. e Bangladesh accord marks a change in that it advances a new corporate accountability model based on transparency, legally binding remedies for workers and a role for the active participation of workers' organizations. Suc- cessful implementation of the ac- cord will save lives in Bangladesh, and can also provide valuable les- sons for developing similar safety initiatives. Liana Foxvog is director of orga- nizing and communications at the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.laborrights. org. To learn more about the Bangla- desh accord, visit www.bangladesh accord.org. What is the Accord? the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh is a legally binding agreement between global brands or retailers and international trade unions. Key activities include: • transparent disclosure of ready-made garment factories and inspection reports. • Independent inspections by international engineering experts. • Support for factory remedia- tion through facilitating fi nance and giving a long-term commitment to order volumes. • Worker participation in oc- cupational health and safety committees and training. • Provision of worker com- plaints mechanisms and the right to refuse unsafe work. Source: Bangladesh Accord Guide for Potential Signatories Credit: Andrew Biraj (Reuters) Fatema holds a picture of her son Nurul Karim as she poses for a photograph in front of her slum house in Savar. She lost her son and her daughter Arifa, who were working on the fifth floor of Rana Plaza when it collapsed on April 24, 2013. A year after the world's worst textile factory disaster, hundreds of survivors and families of victims are still struggling to rebuild their lives from the rubble of the Rana Plaza factory disaster that claimed more than 1,100 lives. January 26-28, 2015 National Career Development Conference Ottawa Convention Centre Cannexus brings together 800 professionals to exchange information and explore innovative approaches in career and talent development. 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