RMG Sustainability Council can now oversee labour issues too

Highlights

• Unfair contracts, termination, wages, benefits, discrimination, etc to be addressed
• New system to be piloted from 15 November in 1,185 factories
• It will notify global buyers of non-compliance
• Non-compliance could lead to purchase order cancellations

The RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) – the largest alliance monitoring factory safety in Bangladesh's garment sector and formerly known as Accord – has expanded its mandate to include the investigation of labour rights violations alongside safety issues.

Under the new directive, the RSC will now be able to investigate not only electrical, fire, and structural safety matters but also unfair labour practices, set deadlines for corrective measures, and notify global buyers of non-compliance – potentially leading to the cancellation of purchase orders.

The decision was approved at the RSC board meeting on 20 October, despite objections from factory owners' representatives. Other board members, including global brands and labour groups, voted in favour of the expansion.

Currently, the RSC oversees 1,885 factories on safety-related issues. Beginning 15 November, the new mandate will be piloted in 1,185 factories producing garments for 58 global brands, with all RSC-affiliated factories expected to come under the expanded remit within six months.

RSC Managing Director Abdul Haque has already informed factory managements of the new framework through an official letter, a copy of which has been obtained by The Business Standard.

According to the letter, the RSC will now be authorised to investigate complaints related to unfair employment contracts and termination; wages, benefits, and leave; freedom of association and collective bargaining; child labour; forced labour; and discrimination.

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From now on, any allegation concerning these issues at RSC member factories can trigger an investigation and corrective action process by the council.

The RSC traces its origins to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, launched in the aftermath of the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster, which killed more than 1,100 garment workers. The Accord initially covered over 1,500 factories. In 2020, it was succeeded by the RSC, a tripartite body representing brands, factory owners, and workers.

Experts credit the Accord and the RSC with bringing substantial improvements to factory safety standards in Bangladesh's garment industry.

Mixed industry reaction

The new authority has caused unease among factory owners, while labour leaders have welcomed the move as a major step toward protecting workers' rights.

Labour leader Babul Akhter, who is also general secretary of IndustriAll Bangladesh Council and a board member of the RSC, told TBS, "We welcome this decision because it will help curb unfair labour practices and make it easier to form trade unions. It will give workers a better chance to seek justice."

He added, "Although factory owners objected to the proposal at the 20 October board meeting, the motion was passed by a majority vote."

Akhter noted that the most significant focus area under the new system would be freedom of association, allowing workers to report violations of labour rights directly to the RSC. "If owners do not comply, the council will inform the brands, which could lead to order cancellations – creating international pressure for accountability," he said.

Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, president of the Bangladesh Employers' Federation, told this newspaper, "Their attitude and working methods are not industry-friendly. The RSC's past activities have shown this. Allowing them to investigate labour rights issues may end up damaging Bangladesh's industry rather than supporting it."

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Ehsan, who also serves as executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), added, "There are already international mechanisms and the labour ministry in place to deal with labour rights issues. This is not the RSC's job. We have already communicated our objections."

Mohiuddin Rubel, former director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), echoed this concern, saying, "Factories already report labour compliance matters to brands through social audits. Bringing these issues under the RSC will only increase operational costs."

Another garment entrepreneur, requesting anonymity, said, "The RSC's new initiative could give brands an excuse to suspend orders, which would directly hurt factories."