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Expo on factory safety equipment opens today

Star Business Report
Global clothing retailers' megaexposition on building and fire safety opens today for the first time in Bangladesh, in a bid to raise awareness on the use of modern equipment.
"Many garment owners have misconceptions on the use of fire and building safety equipment. The exhibition is expected to address such issues," said Mesbah Rabin, managing director of Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a platform of 26 North American clothing retailers and brands.
The two-day show. International Trade Expo for Building and Fire Safety, is being organised by Alliance and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, with support from Accord on Fire and Building Safety,
a forum of 150 retailers and brands, mostly European.
International Finance Corporation, C&A Foundation and Elevate will
facilitate the exposition to be held at Sonatgaon Hotel in Dhaka.
The fair will help factory owners gather knowledge about fire-safety
systems in the apparel sector that accounts for 80 percent of exports.
"The expo provides a unique platform to improve safety standards," BGMEA President Atiqul Islam said at a press conference in Dhaka yesterday.
More than 50 stalls, including representatives from the fire service and testing institutions, are displaying fire and building safety equipment at the show.
A series of workshops on fire, building and electrical safety will take place on the sidelines.
"Our goal is to build awareness on modem safety equipment among the garment owners," said Islam.
Three ministers and secretaries from the labour, commerce and foreign affairs ministries are expected to attend the inauguration today.
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"However, we will advance step by step and there will be flexibility. But we will not compromise on the standards because that would mean compro-misingon the lives ofworkers.”
Raina said the Accord went through an international tender for recruiting the foreign inspectors, as this was also a question of credibility.
The Accord, which has been signed by 150 brands, would inspect 1,500 factories by September this year. The inspection will start with 30 international inspectors and by next week another 40 would joi n.
"This will have a profound change, as a pilot inspection last year showed that there are certain problems and there will be a lot of repairs to be done. ”
The labour leader said the minimum wage has to increase gradually towards the level of living wages, such that every worker can work reasonable hours and still get a decent living.
"The garment workers are toiling 60 to 62 hours a week in the factories—they don't have any life. This is unhealthy and inhumane, and it is being seen by the consumers around the world. "
He, however, said the 77 percent increase in minimum wage to Tk
5,300, or $67 a month, is a step in the right direction. "But the annual revision of the minimum wage needs to continue. ”
The IndustriALL general secretary went on to urge the factory owners not to be afraid of implementing the minimum wage, as wages are increasing in Bangladesh's competitorcountries.
"It means Bangladesh will maintain its competitive position. Brands will not move away because of the minimum wage. On the contrary, the brands support the idea of a living wage."
He said Indonesian workers' minimum wage stands at over $200 a month, both China's and Thailand's $200 and Cambodia's $100. "If we don’t care for the workers, there will be social unrest."
Forty percent of the garment factories are yet to implement the minimum wage, Raina said, citing a recent study by the BGMEA.
"Obviously, this is a problem—we are working on it.”
The union leader said there are changes and amendments in the positive direction under the labour law. “But they are not enough. The labour law in Bangladesh is not compliant yet with the norms of the International Labour
Organisation.”
“As long as this is the situation, the United States will not change its decision on Generalised System of Preference. The European Union is also following the development closely and may take a decision."
Raina said he would raise all the points during his discussion with the government.
"We will ask the government to continue to work on the labour law reform, especially concerning the export processing zones."
The IndustriALL genera) secretary said the global federation union would work to make the country's garment industry safe and sustainable in five years.
He said the government approval for over 100 trade unions, covering 40,000 workers, last year is a positivestep.
“This year there will be unions in another 100 factories," Raina said, adding that the IndustriALL plans to organise training programmes in association with the BGMEA to educate the newly set up trade unions and the factory management representatives on how to create a win-win solution in the workplace.
But setting up trade unions alone is not enough, as factory workers involved in forming unions in the
past were unilaterally fired, he said.
Raina also disclosed how the American brands declined to join the Accord.
“The IndustriALL wanted to get the American brands and buyers to the Accord. We worked very hard on that. Wal-Mart never replied. They even participated in one negotiation and they just sat there and said nothing during the two days."
Wal-Mart is the largest single buyer of Bangladeshi garment products.
Raina said there were some negotiations with another American brand GAP but it finally fell through. Other brands never came forward.
He went on to say that the IndustriALL would conduct a big public campaign to show how unserious the Alliance, a platform of 26 American brands, is.
Sudhershan Rao Sarde, secretary of IndustriALL Global Union for South Asia, Nazrul Islam Khan, president of IndustriALL Bangladesh Gouncil, and Ramesh Chandra Roy, secretary general of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council, were present at the press conference.
Geneva-based IndustriALL Global Union represents 50 million workers in 140 countries.