Projects in Bangladesh

To support long-lasting community development we expand our sustainability efforts further, and we want to help in strengthening the participation of workers as well as increase their skills. We have therefore created an initial five year plan for our work of six initiatives in Bangladesh, that are equally important to us, to help us focus our efforts;

•    Social dialogue
•    Fire Safety
•    Increase skills
•    University educations  & scholarships
•    Healthcare
•    Helpline

The projects in Bangladesh are additional to our everyday work with our Code of Conduct. For more information on how we work with our Code of Conduct; http://about.hm.com/content/hm/AboutSection/en/About/Sustainability/Commitments/Responsible-Partners/Code-of-Conduct.html

Social dialogue. In order to achieve better long-term working relationships, there is a need for a positive dialogue between employees and employers.  The goal is to strengthen the workers on how workers’ committees can be formed and how to negotiate their rights, so they eventually can take over the process and negotiate on their own. So with the help of external experts, employees at five selected suppliers are educated in how workers committees can be formed through democratic elections as well as how to negotiate with management. To achieve our goal it is also important to address management. Hence, we also educate their employers – our suppliers. The project will be evaluated during 2012-2013 to see how we can run this project in more factories.

Fire Safety. To improve fire safety in the Bangladeshi textile factories, we initiated a film project, together with 18 other brands with the aim to educate employees as well as management.  We began to show the educational videos for our suppliers and their employees during autumn 2011.The goal is to reach about 3 million workers at 4 500 factories the Bangladeshi textile industry over the next two years

Increase competence.  A skilled labour force is important for the development of the garment industry in Bangladesh and since many years H&M runs a vocational sewing school in Dhaka.  Now, H&M along with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association as well as the government agency Bureau of Manpower, launches a project to increase and strengthen the capacity of twelve more vocational schools. The ambition is that more people will go to school to acquire  better technical skills as well as knowledge of their rights and responsibilities, and thus have greater opportunity to influence their own and the industry’s future in a positive direction.  

University education & Scholarships. H&M wants to support the opportunity for higher education and offers, in cooperation with Grameen Foundation, a financial support to university students in Bangladesh.  During the five years to come, we will give financial support to 20 students every year.  In 2011, twenty students were awarded scholarships, of which half are studying textile education and the other are studying subjects such as economics, law, political science and agriculture.

Health care. It is important to help improve access to health care for workers in the garment industry. Therefore H&M, in collaboration with suppliers and USAID project Smiling Sun, subsidize health care for workers and their families when they visit any of the Smiling Sun’s 320 clinics.

Helpline. Violence and abuse against women is a recognized social problem in Bangladesh.  H&M addresses the problem by opening up a help line for women. In addition, we conduct an information campaign in collaboration with selected suppliers, in which we clarify our stance on zero tolerance for violence against women. The help line is open to the public, and caters to all women, also outside the textile industry, who are vulnerable or have been victims of violence. It is staffed by women from Acid Victims Organization that provide advice on rights and support women to move on. H&M will fund, evaluate and improve the help line construction for two years and our ambition is to involve more partners so new audiences can be reached, supported and helped.

The above projects are a complement to our extensive everyday work with our Code of Conduct. The textile industry’s development is important for the future of Bangladesh, and we want to contribute to long-lasting change for the people employed in the garment industry.

Helena Helmersson is our Head of Sustainability. Opinions expressed are her personal views and do not necessarily represent the official views of H&M. Do you have questions or feedback? Please click here.