The Rana Plaza Coordination Committee

The Rana Plaza Coordination Committee was established in order to negotiate the terms of the Arrangement and to oversee its overall implementation. It was made up of representatives of all of the major stakeholders involved in the scheme, including from the Ministry of Labour of the Government of Bangladesh, the local and international garment industry, local and international trade unions and local and international non-governmental organisations. The International Labour Organisation acted as a neutral and independent chair.

The main objective of the Committee was to cooperate together to:

  • Establish a single approach for the calculation of benefits to injured workers and surviving dependents, and ensure this was done in an equitable and transparent manner according to their losses and consistent with the standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Bangladesh laws.

  • Implement the practical guidelines in the Arrangement, including the appointment of Commissioners and administration staff, provision of medical support, the verification authorisation of individual awards and the establishment of post claim services including financial counselling.

  • Monitor delivery of payments to the victims to ensure meaningful use and safeguard against fraud.

The specific roles of the Committee were to:

  • Over-see the implementation of the Practical Guidelines set out in the Arrangement
  • Set total levels of funding needed to enable payments to be made to the RP victims, based on the calculations made in line with ILO standards
  • Set a total level of administrative costs for the necessary expert support, and for setting up and servicing a Trust Fund
  • Adopt procedures for review and decisions on claims as are necessary and appropriate
  • Set up temporary expert support, for the purpose of assisting in the evaluation and determination of compensable losses,
  • Establish appropriate mechanisms for payments to the victims,
  • Authorize the payment of awards submitted to it, including from an independent Donors’ Trust Fund voluntarily set up for that purpose
  • Approve a budget for the above resources, review reports and audits of its operation, and authorize amounts to be paid, including from the Trust Fund
  • Establish internal procedures for its functioning and decision-making.

Members of the Coordination Committee

  • Government: The Ministry of Labour and Employment, Bangladesh;
  • Industry: Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers’ Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF),
  • Trade unions: IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC), National Coordination Committee for Workers’ Education (NCCWE), IndustriALL Global Union
  • Brands: El Corte Ingles, Loblaw and Primark
  • Non Governmental Organisations: Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC)