Recently, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (ABWS) has announced that it will extend compensation benefits to workers from two months to up to four months wages for workers displaced as a result of factory remediation. Till date, the Alliance inspections have resulted in closure of five factories for remediation. Structural faults were found in all five cases, raising immediate safety concerns. These benefits would be made possible through a US $ 5 million Worker Support Fund established by the Alliance and its member brands. Till date, the Alliance has paid wages to more than 1,000 displaced workers.
“Ensuring that no garment worker has to put himself/herself at risk to earn a living is our top priority, but we believe protecting and supporting workers must go hand in hand. We are committed to ensuring as factory safety improvements are made, workers are not expected to pay the price,” informed Ellen Tauscher, Alliance Independent Chair and former US Congresswoman.
The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety was founded by a group of North American apparel companies, retailers and brands who joined together to develop and launch the Bangladesh Worker Safety Initiative, a binding, five-year undertaking that will be transparent, result-oriented, measurable and verifiable with the intent of improving safety in Bangladeshi readymade garment (RMG) factories.
