Alliance cracks the whip on 23 garment factories over safety concerns

The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety cancelled recently safety standard improvement procedures of 23 domestic garment factories after these plants failed to show adequate progress in their compliance initiatives. This move may prompt the organization's signatory brands to cut ties with these establishments.

A letter sent to the factories signed by the Alliance's managing director M Rabin said that because of their failure to comply with the group's preapproval and remediation process, the plants have been designated as "suspended approval" and their names removed from the Alliance's factory list.

The memo also said that, in order to regain their status, the factories need to initiate a new inspection, and meet the organization's recommendations and other requirements.

The Alliance has also informed Bangladesh's Accord on Fire and Building Safety, and Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishment about the status of these factories.

According to the Alliance, some factories refused to comply with the group's recommendations because they did not have work orders from signatory brands. Others did not follow the instructions of the government's review panel while a number of plants simply failed to make visible progress with their compliance efforts.

The group also declared 18 garment factories to be fully compliant.

The Alliance was founded after the 2013 collapse of Rana Plaza building, which killed more than a thousand workers.

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