ISLAMABAD: The International Labour Organisation has led successful Factory Improvement Toolset (FIT) interventions in Pakistan resulting in more impactful, sustainable and scalable solutions that improved conditions for workers and enhanced the sustainability of the garment industry.
Under the ‘Decent Work in Garment Supply Chains Asia’ project funded by the Swedish government, the toolset is a self-facilitated, activity-based learning approach designed to support garment manufacturers in their efforts to improve productivity, competitiveness and working conditions by upgrading production systems and factory practices.
A report prepared by ILO after implementing the project, says the interventions provided an in-depth look into the use of FIT in Pakistan, where 10 factories utilised an in-factory intervention over six months with the support of trained facilitators. All the 10 enterprises engaged in the FIT have reported considerable improvements in the respective areas of intervention, the report says.
Several factories experienced notable improvements in productivity-related key performance indicators (KPIs). In the storeroom factories experienced on average, a decrease in material retrieval time by 70 per cent and an increase in space utilisation by 6pc. In the sewing room, the target achievement rate increased by 10pc and the defect rate has decreased by 22pc, the report says.
Both qualitative and quantitative data show that the FIT peer-learning approach facilitated the improved flow of communication in the factories, by building trust and breaking boundaries.
Workers report that they experienced increased motivation and commitment to productivity-increasing initiatives after FIT. By being invited to raise their concerns and share their knowledge, they experienced motivating recognition that further impacted their engagement.
The ILO report says FIT brought together workers, managers and supervisors to identify and address relevant challenges in the factory. The intentional effort to ensure a diverse cohort along with the unique peer-learning methodology allowed for a broadening of perspectives as well as improved communication and workplace relations.
FIT’s activity-based approach encouraged active participation by all team members in the identification of factory problems and the creation of solutions. Actively engaging with the module material prompted the participants towards reflection, discussion, and creative solutions. The approach also facilitated improved communication flow in the factory.
The project aimed to contribute to improved working conditions and rights of women and men workers as well as improving the productivity and environmental sustainability of the garment sector in Asia.
The project delivered interventions in two complementary areas of work; by strengthening knowledge of research findings, good practices and tools in four main and inter-connected problem areas: advancement of gender equality; enhanced productivity and competitiveness; and reduced environmental impact.
The ILO report pointed out that there are persistent and stubborn gaps that continue to hamper the full achievement of decent work across the sector. Through an inclusive approach, the project strategy sought to coordinate the efforts of governments, national institutions, social partners and other key stakeholders working toward the common goal of decent work and more sustainable garment sectors.
FIT was piloted in close partnership with industry stakeholders, including garment sector associations. The ILO provided support in the form of technical assistance to partners to ensure their capacity to coordinate, facilitate and monitor improvement sessions. Additionally, the ILO supported promotional activities in the sector to raise awareness and interest among factories.
