The VF Corporation, an American clothing corporation, has pledged to spend at least $17m in the near future to continue doing its part to improve the safety and working conditions at its contract suppliers’ RMG manufacturing in Bangladesh.
“As a member of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, VF has pledged to spend at least $17m in the near-term to improve working conditions of RMG sector in Bangladesh,” said a statement of the corporation, posted on its website on Thursday.
“At VF, the safety of our associates and the people who make our products around the world is a priority and we are putting our human and financial resources behind our commitment,” said Eric Wiseman, chairman, president and CEO of the VF Corporation.
The corporation was proud of its recent accomplishments and those of the alliance in Bangladesh, Eric said, but acknowledged that there was still much work to be done.
“We will continue to collaborate with the Alliance and with the Bangladeshi government, labour unions, garment workers, factory owners and other like-minded organisations to make the factories in Bangladesh safer for all workers,” he added.
VF is a founding member of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a legally binding, five-year commitment to transparent, results-oriented, measurable and verifiable actions to improve the safety of Bangladeshi RMG factories.
The alliance, a platform of 26 North American brands and retailers, had committed to improve safety standard, including fire, electrical and structural safety after the collapse of Rana Plaza, which killed at least 1,135 workers and injured over 2,500 last year.