Current improvements to factories across Bangladesh have made it a more attractive place for brands to partner, he said. By helping the industry become safer and more sustainable, we believe we can help Pakistani industry reap the benefits.”
“It’s clear that the industry’s attitude and approach to safety has changed,” says Boessiger of UNI Global Union. Bangladeshi factory owners say the agreement has helped them identify deficiencies and create better working conditions to meet global standards. For example, Denim Expert Mostafiz Uddin says that his factory not only conducts boiler safety inspections, fire safety inspections and structural inspections, but also works with his Accord to provide training to staff such as labor management training. He said he was able to fix the problem. He adds that pressure remains to maintain these standards. [uphold] This safety; I think it should be there. ”
Governments, manufacturers and the Accord team must work together to transform the local garment industry. He argues that the Accord would not have been as influential had the government not supported the program. Manufacturers in clothing hotspots such as Bangladesh and Pakistan have an opportunity to rebrand and influence how they are seen by retailers. Accord encourages Uddin to be more transparent and show certifications to brands and retailers, and warns of workplace health and safety standards. He says this is attractive to brands that want to partner with great manufacturers with good working conditions.
The impact of the Bangladesh Accord on the garment industry is clear, says Mark Anner of the Center for Global Labor Rights. “Workers are much safer now than they were before the dreaded Rana Plaza building collapsed,” he says. However, nearly a decade after his founding, worker safety in other international countries remains a pressing issue for the industry.
While many have welcomed the Accord’s transformative nature, work is still needed to bring about systemic change among garment workers. And for existing factories, it requires constant monitoring and follow-up,” says Anner. “Brands need to ensure that their purchasing practices, especially pricing, are in place to fully cover the costs of ensuring safety,” he argues.
The possibility of expanding the scope of the Accord is not completely off-limits. The International Agreement has developed an internal group exploring the possibility of expanding the Agreement to cover other human rights due diligence responsibilities. “International agreements also have a commitment to consider their responsibilities for consideration of other human rights … We need to see if the agreement needs to play a role and whether it adds value. There is,” says Oldenziel.
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