The United States government has announced a $2.5 million competitive grant solicitation to fund improvements in the enforcement and monitoring of fire and building safety standards to better protect workers in the ready-made garment sector of Bangladesh. The announcement was made on Thursday by US Labour Department’s The Bureau of International Labour Affairs under the US Labour Department, according to a press release, issued by the department. Ready-made garment production has been central to Bangladesh’s economic development, with the sector accounting for the vast majority of Bangladesh’s exports to the United States. The industry also is the focus of longstanding concerns over violations of worker rights and workplace safety standards.
The government of Bangladesh has been the subject of a review under the Generalized System of Preferences trade program since 2007. Attention to these concerns has grown in the wake of Tazreen factory fire last November that killed more than 100 garment workers and Rana Plaza collapse in late April that led to the loss of more than 1,200 lives.
In recent months, the government of Bangladesh, industry, worker and civil society organisations and other groups have engaged in stepped-up efforts to address fire and building safety concerns. The government and other stakeholders, however, have a great deal of additional work to do in order to implement existing and developing plans.
The Department of Labour’s funding of technical assistance represents one important element in a broader strategy to address these issues. The department will fund one or more recipients who will work to (1) strengthen the Bangladesh government’s ability to improve its enforcement of fire and building safety standards and (2) build the capacity of worker organisations to effectively monitor violations of fire and building safety standards and abate related hazards in the ready-made garment sector.
Applications must be submitted by August 2, 2013, at 5 pm EDT electronically via http://www.grants.gov, or as hard copies mailed to the office of the US Department of Labour in Washington.
All awards will be made by Sept 30.
-With The Independent input
