Every day, CPD RMG Study team reveals what’s on our economic and apparel radar and curates a selection of the best reports, opinion, and analysis you may have missed.
Govt begins talks with stakeholders on draft Labour Act
The government has started discussions with stakeholders on the draft amendments to the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 as the International Labour Organisation expressed reservations about the proposed changes. A tripartite committee formed by the government held its first meeting on Sunday to address the ILO concerns. Labour ministry officials, factory owners and labour leaders attended the meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat.
124 RMG factories found running in risky buildings
During the initial inspections on structural integrity, and fire and electrical safety conducted by two buyers’ groups — Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety — and a government-ILO joint initiative, inspectors found serious safety risks in the buildings in which 163 RMG factories were housed. Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association visited the buildings and asked the factory authorities to shut down the factories due to the risks. Complying with the government order, authorities of only 39 factories relocated their units from the risky buildings while the rest 124 units are still running their business in the buildings without carrying out any renovation on the structures.
RMG Export earnings increases by 8.3%
Export earnings from the Readymade Garment (RMG) increased by 8.3 per cent or US$ 584.87 million in October to December quarter of 2017 than the corresponding quarter of previous year 2016. Export earnings from RMG stood at $7,628.67 million during the October to December quarter of 2017 which was $ 7,043.8 million in the same quarter of 2016. During the October to December period, export earnings from RMG sector increased by 6.78 per cent or $ 484.55 million than the previous quarter (July-September) in 2017. RMG is the major export item, which was 82.4 per cent of the country’s total export earnings of $9253.29 million in the October to December quarter.