Archive

Building on a decade of experience in Tier 1 ready-made-garment factories in Bangladesh, theHelpline expands its services to Tier 2 factories, such as fabric mills, printing, washing, dyeing,and embroidery suppliers. These expanded services allow buyers to meet the...

As part of a regular review of the quality and effectiveness of the Helpline materials provided toworkers and factory managers, a new logo is developed to improve the visual link betweenworkers and the ability of the Helpline to solve workplace problems.

Following the distribution of an online questionnaire to solicit feedback on proposedmodifications to the Helpline’s operations, operational protocols are updated and integratedinto daily Helpline work. Updates are related to issue categorization and term...

Worker concern over the status of their employment and timely payments leads to a dramaticincrease in calls to the Helpline, including a record 5,148 calls in March due to the spike ofCOVID-19 related calls from workers. The Helpline begins collaboration with Better...

Strong winds from Cyclone Mora affecting coastal regions result in 66 workers from 30 factoriescalling to report anxiety over their safety and the safety of their families. Dozens of locked exitsor blocked egress routes are reported and resolved. Together, these and...

The number of garment workers who have access to the Helpline reaches one million. Allworkers receive training in small group sessions on how to place a call and what to expect whenfiling a complaint. Worker satisfaction rates when calling the Helpline remain high at...

The Helpline receives permission to use a toll-free number, giving a major boost to the initiativeby providing no-cost access from any location in Bangladesh. 290 substantive calls are receivedin one month alone.

Following the Rana Plaza disaster, the Amader Kotha Helpline is established as a critical tool forgiving workers an opportunity to report safety and other concerns in the factory workplace. TheHelpline is initially organized as a project of Alliance for Bangladesh...

New, e-Learning training modules are created to inform factory managers and workers abouthow the Helpline works and what to expect when workers call. The e-Learning training modulescomplement the Helpline’s existing in-person training materials, reinforcing the...

On the assumption that workers may be underreporting highly sensitive issues, academiciansfrom leading universities, including Columbia University in New York, design and begin roll outof a research study to examine the impact of reporting sensitive issues as a group...

The Helpline becomes an independent initiative available to any interested brand or factoryacross Bangladesh and celebrates the opening of its new Amader Kotha Helpline Center locatedin Phulki’s offices, marking a new chapter in the initiative’s history. The Helpline...