Worker efficiency rises in BBW garment factories: Report

16 Jan '14

2 min read

The Benefits for Business and Workers (BBW) training program undertaken in Bangladeshi and Indian garment factories during the period of 2011-2013 has improved worker efficiency and reduced absenteeism amongst workers employed in BBW garment manufacturing factories in both nations, as per a recent report released by Impactt Group.

According to the ‘Nicer Work? Impactt’s Benefits for Business and Workers Program 2011-2013’ report, BBW program undertaken by the Impactt Group aims to develop a virtuous circle of competitive businesses with skilled, well paid, safe and loyal workforces producing excellent product. The program focused on export garment manufacturers in India and Bangladesh and was supported by a coalition of retailers and brands.

As per the report, in Bangladesh worker efficiency in BBW garment factories improved by 18.28 percent, whereas the cut-to-ship ratio (meaning factories were able to ship and get paid for more garments from the same inputs) also increased by 1.14 percent.

Absenteeism amongst BBW garment factory workers in Bangladesh also reduced by 33.67 percent on an average, over the two years of the program indicating that workers were more motivated to come to work each day, the report adds. Worker turnover in Bangladesh also went down on average across all factories engaged in BBW by 52.16 percent, indicating that fewer than half the numbers of workers were leaving every month compared to the beginning of the program.

As per the report, In India worker efficiency in BBW garment factories improved by 26.25 percent, whereas cut-to-ship ratio surged by 1.38 percent. Absenteeism in Indian BBW garment factories reduced by 26.73 percent over the two years of the program, whereas worker turnover decreased by 26.08 percent, during the two-year period, the report states.

According to the Impactt Group report, over the two years, BBW was implemented in 41 garment factories of Bangladesh employing 80,526 workers of which 57 percent were women, and in 32 factories of India employing 21,584 workers of which 38 percent were women.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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