Speed up remediation work in garment factories, says Alliance

Close on the heels of a fire breaking out at the Gazipur-based sweater factory Matrix Sweater Ltd, garment factory safety inspection agency of 27 North American retailers and brands the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, which drew flak from the Worker Rights Consortium for reportedly stating that safety renovations in Matrix Sweaters were ‘on track’, has called upon the garment manufacturers of Bangladesh to fast-track the remediation process of their production units to avoid such accidents.

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“While much progress is being made in the Bangladesh readymade garment (RMG) factories, this fire highlights the need for continued, collaborative efforts to ensure that all factories are thoroughly remediated,” a statement issued by Alliance said, adding, “Alliance’s mission is to ensure that factories meet strict inspection standards and provide a safe working environment free of structural, electrical and fire-related hazards.”

Also Read – 4 injured, goods worth Tk 100 crore perish, in Bangladesh sweater factory fire

It may be mentioned here that the fire that broke out at the Matrix Sweater Ltd on Tuesday morning, besides injuring four garment workers, destroyed goods worth more than Tk 100 crore, raised serious questions on the safety scenario of the garment manufacturing factories in Bangladesh.

Following the incident, global workers’ rights bodies like Clean Clothes Campaign, the International Labor Rights Forum, the Maquila Solidarity Network and the Worker Rights Consortium issued a statement questioning the existing safety scenario and progress of remediation work in the RMG units of Bangladesh.

“It is astonishing that the Alliance has Matrix Sweaters rated as ‘on track’ with safety renovations,” stated Executive Director of the Worker Rights Consortium Scott Nova, adding, “This factory has missed dozens of deadlines to eliminate fire hazards and make the structure safe, with 72 different hazards still uncorrected almost two years after inspection. Just how dangerous does a factory have to get to earn criticism from the Alliance?”