Safety key to RMG success

SPEAKERS at the Dhaka Apparel Summit on December 8 agreed that workers' safety in readymade garments (RMG) factories remains one of the key prerequisites for ensuring Bangladesh's dominance in the global apparel sector. Guarantee for physical safety in terms of proper fire preparedness, field inspection and training of workers to tackle an emergency will have to become part and parcel of the way the industry is run. And it is not merely about more unionisation at the workplace, but finding and putting in place various forms of dispute resolution which can help workers and management resolve issues without matters turning volatile.

For any of this to work seamlessly would require government institutions to build their capacity to work as proper regulators particularly in the area of ensuring that faulty structural designs are remedied and these adhered to. There is need for industrial zones replete with fire stations to combat emergencies. These are all necessary changes that need to be undertaken to transform the sector and propel its growth. It will be, however, take serious commitment of all stakeholders including the Brands, BGMEA, owners and the government to deliver to full potential.

Some initial steps have already been taken. Tax has been waived on critical firefighting equipment that is imported. The government is in the process of beefing up its pool of factory inspectors. The industry is responding to calls for unionisation and the first steps are being taken to make factories adhere to standards. The road to safety is a long one, but we need to remember that there can be no repeat of Rana Plaza that ended 1,250 lives.