BWB-enrolled apparel factories see fewer social audits, lower costs

Apparel factories enrolled under the Better Work Bangladesh (BWB) programme have seen a reduction in the number of social audits required, compared to non- participating units, resulting in both cost and time savings for the manufacturers.

Social audits assess labour and human rights risks at the garment factories.

Babylon Group, which operates four knit and woven garment factories, reported a significant decrease in social audit since joining the BWB initiative.

Previously, these factories underwent an average of a dozen of social audits annually. But after their enrollment of BWB programme, that number has come down to seven or eight, said Rubaet Bin Aziz, Group General Manager of HR, Admin and Compliance at Babylon Garments.

He made the remarks during a media visit to Babylon Garments Ltd in Mirpur recently. "This reduction in audits saves about Tk 10 million annually, in addition to time saving," Aziz added.

BWB organised the media visit to the factory to show how effective social dialogue and grievance mechanisms can create harmonious worker-employer relations leading to a more stable and productive industrial environment.

A report by the International Trade Center (ITC), published in August last year, revealed that Bangladesh's readymade garment industry continues to undergo the highest average number of social audits among surveyed countries, including China, Vietnam, Turkey, and India, which have all seen a decline in audit frequency.

The report said excessive auditing can lead to "fatigue" and "inefficiencies" in supply chains.

Local apparel exporters said social audits are frequently repeated throughout the year, often by the same auditors, who collect identical data to be submitted to different customers.

This repetition consumes both time and money, and disrupts production processes as factories pause operations to accommodate audit procedures aimed at verifying previously submitted data, they said.

Social auditing in supply chains is used to identify labour and human rights risks and ensure that suppliers satisfy global, regional or company standards of ethical labour and supply-chain practices.

Better Work is a flagship programme of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which works with governments, employers, workers, and global brands to improve working conditions and competitiveness in the garment industry.

In Bangladesh, the Better Work programme was launched in 2015 and now some 490 factories are enlisted with the programme where it impacts around 1.3 million workers, 51 per cent of whom are women, said Syed Fazle Niaz, team leader of Better Work.

Talking to the FE, Nasrin Akter, a senior operator and also the president of the Babylon Garments Workers Union, said workers typically place their demands to the union and they negotiate with the management.

As an example, she noted that the factory management announced a 10-day holiday for Eid-ul-Azha on May 12, following a worker demand raised two weeks earlier. This decision came before the BGMEA, the apparel apex body, advised its members to declare a maximum 10-day holiday for the festival.

Mr Aziz said they were committed to a fair workplace, supported by a strong governance system that promotes open workplace dialogue.

This system empowers their registered trade union, fostering its growth and ownership, he said.

Through BWB's capacity development programmes, their trade union leaders have developed stronger critical thinking, positive debating and active listening skills, he added.

This has significantly boosted their ability to clearly represent workers' voices, thereby improving communication across all levels at their company, he said.

Mr Niaz added that trade unions serve as a vital communication channel through which workers can express their grievances and concerns to employers in a democratic manner thus contributing to business sustainability.

munni_fe@yahoo.com