LEED-certified Green (gold) factory, Green Smart Shirt Ltd (GSSL), a sister concern of PDS Multinational company, is one of Bangladesh’s top sustainable and innovative product manufacturers. GSSL is a socially responsible company that aims at contributing towards the development of its workers and serving its customers with utmost satisfaction. Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR is a corporation’s initiative to assess and take responsibility for the company’s effects on environmental and social well-being. GSSL has emerged as a significant player in the RMG industry and produces all kinds of woven garments.
In the initiative of Green Smart Shirts Ltd to empower women, today we will hear some stories of backward women of the country becoming self-reliant through their skills.
Shwapno Project: Shwapno Project gives hopeless Sabrina the courage to dream. “Shwapna Project and Green Smart have given me the energy to live a new”, said Sabrina Sultana Mou, Quality Auditor, GSSL.
Pre-Primary School for Workers Children: GSSL Pre-Primary School offers education to children between the ages of three to five years, free of cost.
Transport facilities: As GSSL has its own transportation facility, the women workers do not have to worry. They are able to work on time and reach safely in the factory safely due to the convenience of transportation.
Eco-friendly working environment Biti Akter, who is working as a general operator at GSSL gets a happy feeling seeing the beautiful sight of the natural beauty in the factory yard and the cooling environment inside gives her a pleasant feeling to work.
On-time Salary: Nasrin Akter, QC, GSSL, is very happy to get their salary on the 1st of the month. “The bank gave me an ATM card. From it, I can withdraw money as needed”, she said.
Childcare Facilities: GSSL has its childcare. Shamima Nasrin, an operator at GSSL, says she does not have to worry about the breakfast, snacks, and lunch Muniya, her daughter since all the kids are served here with food at the proper time.
Medical facilities: GSSL has its own medical Centre. If any workers feel sick while working, stand-by duty doctors are there to give immediate treatments.
TOT: Through TOT (Training of Trainers), the workers know about the company’s facilities.
WPC committee: Any problem can be reported directly to the management. The management takes immediate action, hearing about the problems accordingly.
Anti-harassment committee: The duty of Ripti, a member of the anti-harassment committee, is to look after whether any female workers are harassed by anyone in the factory.
Maternity Leave Policies: Female workers get maternity leave for a certain period and rejoin the service after leaving. They are also provided allowance support by BGMEA.
Cultural Activities: This factory organizes various events throughout the year.
Fair price Shop: Fatema, working as a junior quality inspector at GSSL, states, “We can buy from our factory shop, at a fair price and there are also health card benefits. We are very happy with it.”
Employees’ Provident Fund: Green Smart Shirts Ltd has launched a provident fund to provide financial security to workers.
This concern of Green Smart Shorts Ltd has set a unique precedent in providing financial and social security to the backward women in the country’s garments industry.
“In Bangladesh’s economy, the RMG sector plays a very important role. GSSL is one of the leading apparel manufacturing companies in Bangladesh. We are producing high fashion garments for many high-end brands of the world”, said Md. Fateh Ul Islam, Managing Director, and CEO of Green Smart Shirt Ltd (GSSL). “We have a highly motivated workforce, among which 90% are female with less than 3% attrition rate. Every worker has a bank account, and we pay a monthly salary into their bank accounts. We are strongly driving our goal towards empowering the women workforce and making them financially sustainable,” added—Fateh Ul Islam.
