Alliance is facing difficulties with its inspection work in Bangladesh. There are few engineers in Bangladesh with the expertise required to support remediation. There are no manufacturers of fire doors, sprinklers or other fire protection equipment in Bangladesh. All the equipment must be imported. There is a limited availability of key goods and services. Building regulations are poorly enforced. Counterfeit or substandard equipment has also created fresh challenges for many factories. Political unrest made normal operations difficult and aftershocks of the Nepal earthquake also affected many factories.

The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety is a North American retailers’ platform. It’s committed to developing a sustainable garment industry in Bangladesh. Alliance has identified unauthorised subcontracting as an ongoing problem in Bangladesh’s garment sector. It’s working with member companies for eliminating unauthorised subcontracting, which is preventing the establishment of a truly safe and transparent industry.

The platform is endeavoring to ensure that the garment sector remains an enduring source of economic security and upward mobility for millions of Bangladeshi workers and their families. It is piloting an escalation process, which includes a roundtable meeting with factory representatives. It has threatened to declare factories as non-compliant if they failed to complete remediation within the time frame.

www.bangladeshworkersafety.org/