In Bangladesh, still a long way to go for safer workplaces

In its first annual progress report released this week, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety cited success in its efforts to improve labor conditions in the South Asian nation’s booming garment industry. At the same time, the Alliance acknowledged the challenges of carrying out its five-year program in a country notorious for tolerating workplace hazards and worker abuse.

A collaboration among North American apparel companies, the Alliance has spent the last 12 months creating guidelines for building safety standards, inspecting garment factories to make sure they were up to par and empowering workers to stand up for their rights. But group officials also estimate that it could take about 18 months and at least $150 million more to complete the projects they began a year ago.

“It’s a work in progress,” said Ian Spaulding, a senior advisor to the Alliance.

The report comes as labor rights issues face growing scrutiny in recent months, not only in the global manufacturing industry but also in major international sporting events. Reports of abuse of migrant workers were rampant in the lead-up to the Winter Olympics at Sochi, while eight people died doing construction work for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil this year.

Qatar, now under investigation for allegations of corruption in its winning bid for the 2022 World Cup, is also facing pressure to improve its treatment of the millions employed to build the necessary infrastructure for the football mega-event. Migrant laborers make up almost 90 percent of Qatar’s population, according the nonprofit Human Rights Watch.

In Bangladesh, the April 2013 collapse of Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial building in Dhaka, the capital, led to the death of more than 1,100 workers and injured about 2,000. Investigators later found violations of building safety standards throughout the structure, including locked fire escapes and extra floors.

In response to the disaster, 26 North American apparel companies and retailers – representing a majority of the region’s importers of ready-made garments from Bangladesh – launched a five-year initiative aimed at improving safety standards and labor conditions at the factories that produced their goods. The companies, collectively called the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, include Gap Inc., Macy’s, Nordstrom, Walmart, Sears and Target.

In partnership with government officials and labor unions, the Alliance began developing a unified set of standards for safety in the workplace. Over the last year, inspections were conducted at all 587 factories, resulting in the closing or partial closing of 10 for structural renovations.

Displaced workers were either relocated to other factories or given compensation, Spaulding said. About 1,000 workers have since received wages. The Alliance also doubled the duration of compensation for displaced workers from two months to four.

More than 1 million workers were given basic fire safety training, according to the report. A survey conducted in December last year found that a mere 2 percent of 3,200 workers could identify fire hazards and only 39 percent knew what to do during a fire or emergency. By May, the numbers were up to 67 and 51 percent respectively.

As part of its emphasis on empowerment, the Alliance launched a helpline – “Amader Kotha” in the local language – where workers could anonymously voice concerns about management and the workplace environment. There was also emphasis on workers’ right to refuse to work if conditions made them feel unsafe, said Ellen Tauscher, board chair for the Alliance.

“In order for the [garment industry] to drive the economy, garment workers need to be protected,” Tauscher said. Garment manufacturing in Bangladesh is a $21-billion industry that accounted for 18 percent of the nation’s GDP in 2013, according to the CIA World Factbook.

Despite its progress so far, the Alliance faces some serious challenges.

Money is one issue, as factory renovations average about $250,000 per building – though costs could be higher or lower depending on the size of the factory and the scope of its violations, Spaulding said. Buildings that require sprinklers, for instance, would cost more than those that don’t.

Alliance members provide the capital for the group’s projects, he said.

Time is another concern. It could take 12 to 18 months for the 10 factories now under remediation to reopen, Spaulding said.

It also takes time to negotiate with factory owners who oppose the Alliance's efforts, he said, though Spaulding noted that those who fail to comply with the new safety standards risk permanently losing the business of all 26 members.

And while the Alliance supports worker representation, many employees still face violence from their employers when they join committees and trade unions.

“There are instances of harassment of laborers working to form unions,” Spaulding said. “We need to make our position known that it’s not acceptable.”

More on GlobalPost: Beyond the rubble: One year after Rana Plaza collapse, Bangladesh is still reeling