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Improving working conditions in the ready-made Garment Sector in Bangladesh - Midterm Evaluation
- eval_number:
- 2158
- eval_url:
- https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/2158
- lessons_learned:
- themes:
- theme:
- Labour standards
- category:
- International Labour Standards
- comments:
- Workers and their dependents in Bangladeshs RMG sector, RMG manufacturers and exporters, victims and their dependents and survivors of Rana Plaza building collapse, overseas buyers and consumers, workers and employers organizations, and government agencies with direct stake in RMG sector.
- challenges:
- Delay in approval of Labour Law Implementation Rules, finally approved on 16 September 2015 following a long delay.
- success:
- ILOs focus to mobilize government-employers-workers to initiate Joint Statement and National Committee to ensure Fire, Building and Electrical safety is showing the signs of improvement in RMG sector; ensuring governments active support for the overall RMGP and policy reforms; ILOs ability to mobilize required experience, skills, knowledge; financial, technical and human resources, including mobilizing development partners; and improved capacity of fire and labor inspection agencies, such as DiFE and FSCD and harmonization of safety assessment protocol.
- context:
- ILO interventions and its initiative to galvanize tripartite actions to make RMG sector as a safe and decent workplace started when Bangladesh and its export oriented RMG sector with four million workers was facing serious economic and social challenges both domestically and internationally. ILOs credibility and its record of accomplishment as the proponent of safe working condition, and promptness to mobilize required resources (financial, human resource with relevant technical knowledge, skills and experience) earned the unconditional acceptance and cooperation for the project.
- description:
- Under an emergency condition, a neutral and credible leadership is important to galvanize support for a response mechanism.
In the aftermath of RP building collapse, stakeholders identified ILO as a trusted development partner with a reputation of neutral and constructive engagement in Bangladeshs RMG sector. ILO, following a high-level mission from headquarters, took leadership role for putting together a response to the crisis with its own funds and technical expertise. Based on consultative process, it put together a funding proposal that addressed both strategic as well as short and medium-term needs of the RMG sectors. At the core of the proposal was improving working conditions in RMG sector. The proposal received strong support from all interest groups, including workers and employers associations and policy makers. It also received strong endorsements from overseas buyers nervous at that time, reflected by fear associated with the disruption in supply chain and brand reputation.
The proposal also received endorsement from the donor community and Canada, the Netherlands and UK quickly responded to fund the proposal. At the time of crisis, the scale and scope of impact was largely unclear but the three donors put their trust in ILO and approved the funding. As the building structure, fire and electrical safety assessment proceeded, the scope of assessment increased. Once again, Netherlands and UK provided additional financing to complete the assessment process in time to avert potential safety risks in RMG factories.
- administrative_issues:
- Delay in mobilizing the Programme Manager/CTA, unsuccessful recruitment of some of the project positions, weak management structure.
- url:
- https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/204302
- location:
- country:
- Bangladesh
- region:
- Asia and the Pacific
- eval_title:
- Improving working conditions in the ready-made Garment Sector in Bangladesh - Midterm Evaluation
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