Business AccordShort | Smart Deals & Partnerships

Textile and garments are a major part of Pakistan’s economy, providing a large number of jobs and earning sizable revenues through exports. Nonetheless, this particular industry has persistently dealt with issues of safety and health at work that has resulted in unfortunate events that have highlighted the necessity for proper intervention. To address these health and safety issues, the Pakistan Accord on Health and Safety in The Textile and Garment Industry was introduced which was a fundamental step towards the holistic health and safety of workers in the country.

Physical History of the Pakistan Accord

Pakistan Accord is a consequence of the campaign for improved health and safety practices in the textile industry around the world. The Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh in 2013 was the event that killed more than a thousand people which served as a motivation for foreign actors to give focus towards work related health and safety issues. It led to the development of the Bangladesh Accord which is a formal agreement or contract between brands and trade unions to improve work health and safety. After gaining success and learning lessons from Bangladesh, stakeholders came to understand the need to adopt a similar system in Pakistan in order to prevent such disaster and foster the safety culture.

Main Points and Goals

The Pakistan Accord is a global agreement that UNIONS and garment manufacturers and sellers enter together with a set of industries to be represented by the unions for three years from 2023. Among the broader objectives of the Accord are these: 

• Make Independent Accidents Safeguards:

 Carry out multi-faceted investigative endeavors spanning the division of factory operations which include evaluating fire, electrical, structural, boiler dangers, and other potential perils that may result into accidents or injuries of grave proportion.

• Rehabilitation and Hazard Tracking:

 Make certain that the multi-faceted adjustments identified are executed in a timely fashion accompanied with constant oversight until the desired conditions are achieved.

• Pedagogy of Safety Committees:

 Teach factory-based safety committees aimed at granting power to workers in conjunction with the management to guarantee safety measures are professionally upheld. 

• Safety Training:

 Take steps to ensure that workers are made aware of their rights as well as safety measures they need to comply with while performing their duties. 

• Invention of Mechanisms for Non-Affiliated Complaints Box:

 Invent a box for casting the votes of workers discontented with safety level protection without measures for punishment.

• Trimming and Accounting:

 Agree to release and to trust the reports of the level of scrutiny and the progress of multi-faceted assignments intended to bolster trust. 

Those provisions and sections aim to embed the culture of health and safety in Pakistan textiles and garments industry where workers’ socio-economic wellbeing is systematically taken care of whilst their safety concerns are recognized and dealt with accordingly.

Scope and Implementation

The Accord includes Cut-Make-Trim (CMT) facilities, including vertically integrated ready-made garments (RMG) as well as home textile, fabric, and knit accessories suppliers. Additionally, covered are Phased Implementation fabric mills that are part of the supply chains of signatory brands. The goal is to gradually include more than 500 factories in Sindh and Punjab, which are the main areas of garment and textile exports for Pakistan, this includes factories for over 100 Accord signatory companies. 

There is a phased structure to implementation, which is accompanied by deep consultation with federal ministries and departments, provincial governments, industry associations, suppliers, trade unions, and civil society organizations. This consultation guarantees that the initiatives of the Accord are appropriate to the specific reality of the Pakistan industry to make it effective while observing international standards. A national governance body to supervise the implementation of the Accord will be established so that all stakeholders can be included into the process. 

Stakeholder Engagement and Support

Every Pakistan Accord relies on multiple participants and supporters to be active in its processes for it to work effectively. 

• Brands and retailers:

 Global brands that already source from Pakistan are strongly urged to sign the Accord as it is their responsibility to ensure the Accord is observed throughout their supply chains.

• Factory Owners and Managers:

 Alongside local manufactuers, their role in implementing appropriate measures and safety culture that builds concern for workers, is fundamental.

• Workers and Trade Unions:

 For the accord to be successful, workers must be adequately trained as well as represented in safety commitees which is essential.

• Government Bodies:

 Engagement with governmental agencies has the benefit that these bodies will be provided with the requisite framework and resources to support the initiatives of the accord.

This concept is integral to the relations between all the parties to the agreement in ensuring the objectives are achieved through multi-stakeholder efforts coordinated by collective responsibility and action.

Expected Outcomes and Constraints

Some of the expected outcomes from the implemented Pakistan Accord include, but are not limited to the following:

• Worker Safety:

 A well defined method has been outlined to aid in the discovery and elimination of risks, making the workplace safer.

• Industry Image:

 Proving commitment to safety may improve the perception of Pakistan globally, in terms of business coming into its textile sector.

• Financial Implications:

 Better safety procedures may lead to improved productivity and less downtime from accidents and injuries.

These obstacles stem from how to ensure compliance for such a large number of factories, habitually financing safety improvements and overcoming the resistance to change. These issues require enduring effort, strong monitoring, and engaging dialogue among participants.

The Moral Imperative

At the heart of the Pakistan Accord is a deep commitment to protecting the health and safety of workers who remain fundamental to the textile and garment industry. It accepts that economic development cannot be pursued at the expense of human life and well-being. The Accord also defends workers’ rights and fosters safer business working conditions which ethically align with global standards of corporate social responsibility.

Conclusion

The Pakistan Accord is a landmark development in the quest for safety in the workplaces of the textile and garment sectors. The Accord offers the possibility of significant enhancement of worker safety by incorporating lessons from other countries and customizing them to the particular context of Pakistan and by Pakistani default country proponents of the Accord. The Pakistan Accord can, through concerted efforts, strong dedication, and a common desire to improve the industry, become a yardstick for other industries and regions to underscore the fact that every worker, in all parts of the world, deserves safety and health at work.