ILO to spend $24.2mn to improve garment factory safety

The new project compliments other initiatives to improve safety in RMG factories such as the Sustainability Compact adopted by the European Union, Bangladesh government and United States, and supported by the ILO; the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh which comprises global unions, brands and retailers; and the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety which brings together North American retailers and brands.

“There is a deepening convergence of interests – from the global community and Bangladesh to work together in supporting our RMG industry: least for supporting lives and livelihoods of four million of our people involved with the industry or, for all-encompassing women empowerment,” said Dr. Dipu Moni, Honourable Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This Programme builds on ongoing ILO interventions and compliments the Fire Safety, Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and Labour Relations initiatives funded by the US Department of Labor and the Kingdom of Norway.

As part of the new programme the ILO and the International Finance Corporation also announced the launch of a Better Work programme in Bangladesh. This will complement the RMG programme by implementing factory-level activities to improve compliance with national labour laws and respect for international core labour standards while promoting the competitiveness of participating factories.

Better Work Bangladesh is a partnership with government, employers, workers, international buyers and other relevant stakeholders, to promote sustainable change in the ready-made garment sector by helping factories comply with labour laws and building the capacity for   labour administration and industrial relations.

In the spirit of this partnership, the Government of Bangladesh and Better Work have agreed to link continuation of the programme to progress being made on specific commitments, as laid out in a “Framework for Continuous Improvement.” Such progress on the Framework will be reviewed annually by Better Work, in cooperation with the Government.

International Labour Organization