This document summarizes the response in Bangladesh to a series of industrial disasters in the garment industry. It describes the National Tripartite Plan of Action which aims to reform legislation, improve inspections, and assess all active factories for safety issues. It also outlines the international response, including agreements between governments, and initiatives by the ILO and private sector brands to conduct safety inspections and make their findings transparent. The ILO is assisting with the implementation of factory assessments, inspection capacity building, and the development of a national database to share safety information.

1. Better Work Bangladesh and the
National Tripartite Plan of Action on
Fire Safety and Structural Integrity
Lejo Sibbel - Senior Design Advisor
Jakarta - March 3, 2014
Friday, February 28, 14

2. 2
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3. 2
GLOBAL ILO/IFC
PARTNERSHIP
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4. 2
GLOBAL ILO/IFC
PARTNERSHIP
7 COUNTRY
PROGRAMMES
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5. 2
GLOBAL ILO/IFC
PARTNERSHIP
827 FACTORIES
7 COUNTRY
PROGRAMMES
Friday, February 28, 14

6. 2
GLOBAL ILO/IFC
PARTNERSHIP
827 FACTORIES
7 COUNTRY
PROGRAMMES
966,762
WORKERS
Friday, February 28, 14

7. 2
GLOBAL ILO/IFC
PARTNERSHIP
827 FACTORIES
7 COUNTRY
PROGRAMMES
966,762
WORKERS
60+
INTERNATIONAL
BUYERS
Friday, February 28, 14

8. 3
Name
Type of
Event
Date
Number of
casualties
Tazreen Fashions
Ltd
Fire
24 Nov
2012
112
Smart Export
Garments
Fire
26 Jan
2013
8
Rana Plaza (5
garment factories)
Building
Collapse
24 Apr
2013
1,129 (not all
RMG workers)
BANGLADESH: SERIES OF
INDUSTRIAL DISASTERS
Friday, February 28, 14

9. NATIONAL RESPONSE:
National Tripartite Plan of Action on
Fire Safety and Structural Integrity
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10. National Tripartite Plan of Action (NTPA)
Three areas of activities:
1) legislation/policy (law reform)
2) administration (Inspection)
3) practical activities (safety
assessments of all active factories)
TRIPARTITE STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT
IN RESPONSE TO TAZREEN FIRE
GoB endorsed on March 24, 2013/Expanded after Rana Plaza Collapse
Two objectives:
1) identify necessary
activities
2) provide entry points for
other stakeholders
- Implementation guided by National Tripartite Committee
(NTC)
- ILO assists the NTC in the implementation and coordination
of the NTPA.
Friday, February 28, 14

11. 6
Government to Government
• EU Sustainability Compact - 8 July
• US GSP Action Plan - 19 August
INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
ILO
• Project: Improving Working Conditions
in the RMG Sector - 22 October
Private Sector (Brands/Buyers)
• Accord on Fire and Building Safety - 13
May
• Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety -
9 July
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12. 7
GOVERNMENT TO
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
DRIVEN BY TRADE RELATIONS
• EU Everything but Arms - threat of review
• US GSP - suspended on June 27
FOCUS ON SIMILAR ISSUES:
• Labour Law Reform (Freedom of
Association)
• Government Capacity (Inspection)
• Safety (Structural Integrity and Fire)
• Transparency (Inspection results/unions)
UNPRECEDENTED ENGAGEMENT
• GOB - Bilateral Partners - ILO (3+5+1)
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13. 8
INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE SECTOR
RESPONSE
ACCORD:
• International/national unions and over
150 brands/buyers - mostly European
(H&M, Inditex, Primark)
ALLIANCE
• 26 brands/buyers - all North American
(including Walmart, Gap, JC Penney)
COMMON ACTIVITY: Assess and
remediate structural integrity and fire
safety of their respective supply chains
DIFFERENCES IN APPROACH:
• Legal/worker engagement/financing
Friday, February 28, 14

14. 9
ILO Project - Improving Working Conditions
in the Ready-Made Garment Sector in Bangladesh
Five Components:
• Structural Integrity and Fire
Safety Assessments
• Strengthen Inspection
Capacity
• Building OSH and Worker
Rights Awareness
• Rehabilitation and skills-
training of disabled workers
• Better Work Bangladesh
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15. 10
Structural Integrity and Fire
Safety Assessments
Commitments:
• GOB/NTPA: all active RMG
factories (also in EU Compact
and US GSP Action Plan) -
3,500 factories (BUET
assessments)
• Accord: combined brand/buyer
supply chain - 1,750 factories
• Alliance: combined brand buyer
supply chain - 750 factories
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16. 11
1,000
1,575
350
575
NATIONAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEM
ACCORD ON FIRE AND BUILDING SAFETY (1,750 FACTORIES)
OVERLAP ACCORD AND ALLIANCE
ALLIANCE FOR BANGLADESH WORKER SAFETY (750 FACTORIES)
3,500 ACTIVE RMG FACTORIES
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17. 12
ILO ROLE IN FACTORY
ASSESSMENT PROCESS
GOB/NTPA:
• Assist in design of process
• Contracted BUET
• Contracted ARUP
• Will donate equipment
• Facilitated development of
harmonized minimum
assessment standard used by
all three initiatives
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18. 13
TRANSPARENCY
Commitments:
• GoB/NTPA: Publicly accessible
website/database (also in EU
Compact and US GSP Action
Plan). Content: inspections
(safety, working conditions,
union functioning)
• Accord: Publish assessment
findings and remediation
• Alliance: Publish assessment
findings and remediation
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19. 14
ILO ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT
OF DATABASE
GOB/NTPA:
• Assist in design of Database
• Contracted software
developer/user training/data
entry assistance
• Bring NTPA/Accord/Alliance
together to agree on
harmonized reporting format
and sharing of information.
Friday, February 28, 14

20. 1516
Q & A
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