US House of Representatives approves defence authorisation bill
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that will enforce Bangladeshi factories that produce military-branded garments for the US army to ensure fire and building safety.
The bill, authored by Reps Jan Schakowsky and George Miller, says that military-branded garments made in Bangladesh and sold through the Department of Defence, known as exchanges, have to comply with fire and building safety accord that would improve conditions in Bangladesh ready-made garment factories.
‘We thank chairman Buck McKeon and ranking member Adam Smith of Armed Services Committee for working with us to ensure that it was considered by the full House of Representatives,’ said a news release of Representatives Jan Schakowsky on June 14.
‘Military-branded garments made for sale at base retail stores operated by the Department of Defence should uphold our nation’s core values and meet international labour standards,’ Schakowsky and Miller said in a joint statement.
Public data indicates that the Army-Air Force Exchange imported 124,000 pounds of garments last year from several garment factories in Bangladesh, it said.
The move of the US House of Representatives comes after more than 1,200 garments worker were killed in Bangladesh within the last seven months in two separate incidents of fire and building collapse.
In November 2012, a fire at Tazreen Fashions killed 112 workers while the April collapse of Rana Plaza at Savar killed more than 1,100 workers and left 2,500 others injured.
The Rana Plaza housed five garments factories without having the load capacity for such production work.
So far, 50 international retail and fashion brands – mostly based in Europe and Canada – have signed onto the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.
Although three US brands have signed onto the accord, other major US companies like Walmart and GAP have declined to participate in the international effort to improve building safety.
The amendment specifically said military exchanges that sell their own branded garments that are made in Bangladesh must join or abide by the conditions of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.
It also said military exchanges that license production of their own brands or sell at retail other branded garments shall provide a preference in selection of vendors to those that are signatories to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.
-With New Age input
