Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway?
The garments industry of Bangladesh is in turmoil.
The breakdown of the industry would mean the loss of the sole bread-winning source for many, causing them to get back on their bare feet in search of a decent job in a deprived society, already crammed with innumerable unemployed citizens.
The workers are belligerent about the nasty working conditions, the minimum wage level etc.
However their tetchy attitude towards the so-called profit-making industry has fallen on deaf ears, and drowned out in the ever competitive world of global business.
The continuous and constant pressure by the foreign buyers to meet the standards and sort out all human rights issues requires an increase in their own cost level.
However these illustrious, goodwill-generating companies do not realise, or probably do not want to realise, that if they are not willing to pay more for the added value, where will the extra money come from? These companies are constantly putting pressure on the third world countries to reduce cost, while maintaining all the protocol that amplifies costs.
They want to allow their consumers to cosy up wearing a soft blue sweater in winter, without paying an extra dollar for the knitters in third world countries who are unable to wear sweaters themselves.
I am sure the civilized society is aware of the atrocities here and they are willing to pay more for their products, but the companies are mysteriously unwilling to charge higher despite their support towards maintaining quality of life.
The manufacturers, often reputed companies of the first world, do not own up to the tribulations.
Instead they label them as the responsibility of the factory owners, often sub-contracted parties in third world countries.
Bangladesh caught the world's attention once again when the Rana Plaza disaster happened on April 24, 2013.
This happened during a time when the Bangladesh government made the promise to raise wages for the garment workers and provide more leniency in labour laws related to the formation of trade unions.
After the major disaster, a few companies came forward to prove a point and show direction, namely the Swedish retailer H&M, Spanish giant Inditex, British retailers Tesco and Primark, and US giants Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Izod.
They promised to pay a substantial amount to endorse factory safety and quality improvements as a part of their entire plan.
This sort of assistance would definitely clear their conscience regarding the "blood products" they were procuring, and complement their long term CSR visions.
All these attempts are surely admirable, but they are slightly late with many people already dead from disaster.
The blood has already stained the giants' hands and these attempts can only hope to rinse out the stains over time.
What about others? There are many still objecting to the idea of any such agreement, denying outright responsibility.
A reputed company also claimed to have hired an inspector and pledged to pay a substantial amount in "loans" for improvement within the factories.
How righteous is the idea of loans to companies already suffering from financial turmoil? I leave it to the readers to ponder over.
The breakdown of the industry would mean the loss of the sole bread-winning source for many, causing them to get back on their bare feet in search of a decent job in a deprived society, already crammed with innumerable unemployed citizens.
The workers are belligerent about the nasty working conditions, the minimum wage level etc.
However their tetchy attitude towards the so-called profit-making industry has fallen on deaf ears, and drowned out in the ever competitive world of global business.
The continuous and constant pressure by the foreign buyers to meet the standards and sort out all human rights issues requires an increase in their own cost level.
However these illustrious, goodwill-generating companies do not realise, or probably do not want to realise, that if they are not willing to pay more for the added value, where will the extra money come from? These companies are constantly putting pressure on the third world countries to reduce cost, while maintaining all the protocol that amplifies costs.
They want to allow their consumers to cosy up wearing a soft blue sweater in winter, without paying an extra dollar for the knitters in third world countries who are unable to wear sweaters themselves.
I am sure the civilized society is aware of the atrocities here and they are willing to pay more for their products, but the companies are mysteriously unwilling to charge higher despite their support towards maintaining quality of life.
The manufacturers, often reputed companies of the first world, do not own up to the tribulations.
Instead they label them as the responsibility of the factory owners, often sub-contracted parties in third world countries.
Bangladesh caught the world's attention once again when the Rana Plaza disaster happened on April 24, 2013.
This happened during a time when the Bangladesh government made the promise to raise wages for the garment workers and provide more leniency in labour laws related to the formation of trade unions.
After the major disaster, a few companies came forward to prove a point and show direction, namely the Swedish retailer H&M, Spanish giant Inditex, British retailers Tesco and Primark, and US giants Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Izod.
They promised to pay a substantial amount to endorse factory safety and quality improvements as a part of their entire plan.
This sort of assistance would definitely clear their conscience regarding the "blood products" they were procuring, and complement their long term CSR visions.
All these attempts are surely admirable, but they are slightly late with many people already dead from disaster.
The blood has already stained the giants' hands and these attempts can only hope to rinse out the stains over time.
What about others? There are many still objecting to the idea of any such agreement, denying outright responsibility.
A reputed company also claimed to have hired an inspector and pledged to pay a substantial amount in "loans" for improvement within the factories.
How righteous is the idea of loans to companies already suffering from financial turmoil? I leave it to the readers to ponder over.
Source...