Timeframe fixed to form RMG Sustainability Council
Bangladesh
The RMG Sustainability Council (RSC), the tripartite platform of apparel makers, buyers and labour rights groups to ensure the safety in the garment sector, will be formed by November 25.
The decision came on Tuesday after a two-day long conference of stakeholders on RMG Sustainability Council Formation and Transportation, organised by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) at the Four Points by Sheraton, Dhaka.
Representatives of the BGMEA and the Steering Committee of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh were present at the conference held on September 2-3.
“The RSC will be formally incorporated by November 25 and the draft will be formulated by October 20, while the working is expected to start by January 2020,” said Rubana Huq, the president of BGMEA.
“The RSC will be a legally binding body, which will be run with blessings of the government and there will be a technical sub-committee, the decision of which will be considered as final,” she added.
The parties discussed a wide range of issues in the conference to ensure a smooth transition of Accord and its functions – related to inspections, remediation, training and safety complaints mechanism – to the RSC by the end of May 2020.
“The RSC is an unprecedented national initiative, uniting industries, brands and trade unions to ensure a sustainable solution, based on a unified compliance standard, to carry forward the significant accomplishments made on workplace safety in Bangladesh,” said Edward David Southall, head of global sourcing of LC Waikiki, on behalf of the buyers.
The RSC will also encompass industrial relations, skill development and environmental standards, said a joint statement of the conference.
After the collapse of Rana Plaza building on April 24, 2013, which killed over 1,100 people, Accord and Alliance were formed for five years to improve the work environment of garment factories in Bangladesh.
Alliance completed its term in December 2018 while Accord is set to complete by May 2020.
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