BGMEA signs deal with Impactt for enhancing productivity

07 Feb '14

2 min read

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has signed an agreement with ethical trading consultancy Impactt to improve productivity in the country's garment factories, Bangladesh National News Agency BSS reported.

As per the agreement, BGMEA and Impactt would support roll out of a program titled Benefits for Business and Workers (BBW) to 200 garment factories in Dhaka and Chittagong regions by December 2015. For the purpose, Impactt would enhance capacity of BGMEA’s Productivity Improvement Cell.

At the agreement signing ceremony, BGMEA president M Atiqul Islam said no apparel producing country can sustain in the long-run without enhancing skills of the workers and improving productivity at clothing units.

He said that improving productivity is a necessity in the present era of globalization, and added that garment factories must enhance productivity, along with ensuring fire safety.

Impactt chairman Rosey Hurst said the collaboration with BGMEA is significant, as it would enable the Bangladesh garment industry to become more competitive, providing better jobs to its workers.

Impactt enables organisations to improve working conditions and livelihoods across global supply chains in a way that brings clear business benefits to both ends of the chain. The consultancy specialises in ethical trade, human rights, labour standards and international development.

Impactt works with a wide range of stakeholders, from large retailers and government bodies to factory workers and local communities. It has offices in the UK, China, Bangladesh and India, and also has a network of Impactt associates across Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam and elsewhere.

In 2011-13, BBW was implemented in 41 garment factories of Bangladesh employing 80,526 workers, of which 57 percent were women.

BGMEA is one of the largest trade associations in Bangladesh, representing the readymade garment industry, particularly the woven garments, knitwear and sweater sub-sectors with equal importance.

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