The global apparel brands and retailers are placing higher volume of work orders to the compliant garment factories in Bangladesh, a top official of the US-based VF Corporation said on Sunday.
"The ready-made garment (RMG) industry of Bangladesh has transformed over the last five years. It has now become one of the safest for workers in the world," said Sean Cady, vice president, global supply chain and responsible sourcing of VF Corporation.
"Our sourcing from Bangladesh has increased significantly, but the number of factories is low. That means business is coming to the better and safer factories," he noted.
Mr Cady, also a board member of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, was speaking at a press conference in a city hotel.
He also said the Alliance has reiterated its previous stance of not extending its tenure after next January.
The organisation will hand over its ongoing safety responsibilities to a transparent and credible monitoring authority.
Mr. Cady stressed the need for maintaining the strong reputation of 'Made in Bangladesh' that has been achieved following the work of the Accord, the Alliance and the National Action Plan.
"It is critically important for the international buyers to have confidence that the label 'Made in Bangladesh' is supportive for all workers," he noted.
The Alliance organised the conference on the transition landmark of 'Amader Kotha', a helpline for workers, to an independent initiative expanding its access to millions of more workers.
Other board members of the Alliance - Tapan Chowdhury, managing director of Square Textiles Ltd, Jan Saumweber, senior vice president - responsible sourcing of Walmart, Dana Veeder, associate general counsel legal of Gap, among others, were present at the conference.
Responding to a query, Alliance executive director Jim Moriarty said: "The Alliance will not be here after January first of next year. Its work is finished, and we haven't asked for extension."
The platform is negating with government and factory owners to set up an independent body or entity to monitor the post remediation activities to maintain safe workplace, he added.
'Amader Kotha', the confidential helpline of workers and established by Alliance, will become an independent initiative this month. It will have the ability to expand its services beyond the factories under the Alliance, he announced.
The helpline has empowered thousands of RMG workers to report issues of concern anonymously and without fear of retribution, he noted.
Mr. Moriarty hoped that the initial corrective action plans in the Alliance-listed factories will be completed by the end of this year.
The Alliance wants to transfer its factory safety and worker empowerment initiatives to an independent safety monitoring organisation, managed in partnership with credible local partners, he also said.
Replying to another question, Mr Moriarty said remediation in the factories under the National Action Plan is a challenge for the Remediation Coordination Cell (RCC).
The RCC is not in a stage to monitor the safety standards in the factories listed under the western retailers' platforms - the Accord and the Alliance. It will be busy with remedial works in the factories under national initiative.
He feared that if any untoward accident takes place in the RMG sector, it might be in the factories under national initiative and not in the factories under the Accord and the Alliance.
