The participants in the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry are launching an extensive Workplace Safety Programme (WSP) in Pakistan, which would help the country strengthen its textile sector.
The initiative will involve Pakistan’s garment and textile suppliers, assisting the country in improving its sector, as it has done for Bangladesh and other members of the agreement.
The decision to broaden the program to Pakistan was made during a signatory brand conference in Amsterdam on Wednesday. According to a press release published on Wednesday, brands will get an information packet on the Pakistan Accord and will be requested to sign it by 16 January 2023.
The Executive Director of the International Accord Foundation, Joris Oldenziel, expressed that it is encouraging to see the International Accord signatories achieve an understanding to develop a WSP encompassing the signatories’ apparel and textile suppliers in Pakistan.
He continued that the foundation is determined to collaborate extensively with Pakistani stakeholders to make certain that our combined efforts benefit the sector and its employees.
The initiative intends to reach more than 500 factories working for over 100 agreement signatory businesses in Sindh and Punjab, which produce the majority of Pakistan’s $20 billion in garment and textile exports each year.
In Pakistan, the International Accord has worked extensively with federal and provincial governments, industrial groups, suppliers, trade unions, and civil society organizations.
The Pakistan Accord encompasses Cut-Make-Trim (CMT) facilities as well as providers of ready-made garments (RMG), house textiles, fabric, and knit accessories (including vertically integrated facilities). Fabric mills in the signatories’ distribution networks are also included, with execution planned for a later point in the program.
Because of the positive experience in Bangladesh, the signatories agreed to extend the workplace safety initiative to at least one additional textile and garment-producing country.
The Accord Secretariat analyzed the viability of expanding based on important parameters using signature surveys, thorough research, and regional stakeholder discussions. Pakistan was identified as a priority nation, in part due to its prominence as a garment and textile source country for major brands.
Its an excellent initiative which must be appreciated. This will help improve working conditions, privide safe and healthy workplace, introduce good occupational heath and safety (OSH) practices and prevent accidental losses. Lot of work required to effectively implement OSH legislation in Pakistan. This is an opportunity for capacity building of the regulators. Image building of the country and enhanced export would be a bonus.