The North American Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety will hold its next meeting at Bangladesh in mid-September, aimed at observing progress of safety measures and setting work procedures.
“The next meeting of the North American Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety will be held in Bangladesh,” Atiqul Islam, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association told the Dhaka Tribune. The alliance is expected to arrive in Bangladesh in mid-September, he added.
The upcoming meeting will set parameter and action plan, and discuss common code of conduct, said Islam, also a member of the alliance board. The alliance will also observe the progress of safety measures.
Earlier on August 20, the US based clothing retailer’s alliance of 20 companies held a meeting in Chicago, where they announced steps to implement a safety plan for factories in Bangladesh.
“As a board member I could not attend the first meeting physically, but had a teleconference through which I shared my opinions and presented current status of garment sector of Bangladesh,” Atiqul Islam informed.
“I look forward to going to Bangladesh soon, so I can see firsthand the kind of progress that the Alliance is making, and to meet government and industry officials, because we have to move rapidly to bring these improvements for the workers in the garment factories,” said Ellen O’ Kane Tauscher, chair of the alliance.
Speaking after the alliance’s first meeting, Tauscher added, “I am pleased to be part of this unique public-private partnership between companies and stakeholders who want to materially change the safety and work conditions of tens of thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers.”
Last week, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety elected Ellen O’ Kane Tauscher as its chair for a three-year term on the board of the group.
Tauscher was formerly a democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing California, and then under-secretary of state for arms control and international security.
The alliance launched a five-year project to inspect 500 factory sites in the region, implementing safety standards and assisting owners with making the necessary improvements.
US retailers took the initiatives following the Rana Plaza collapse in April, which killed more than 1,100 workers and injured over 2,500, putting immense pressure on retailers to address safety concerns.